placed her hands in prayer mode and batted her eyelashes a few times for good measure. “Shoot. I forgot about the meeting. Can you get me out of it? I need to work.”
Baldric chuckled and said, “Nope, everyone must attend, including the guardians.”
Sandy was a member of the Campbell Ridge wards along with Ruby, Anna, Jerry, and Lee. Before leaving heaven, selected humans received a specific genetic code altered by The Creator containing a part of His DNA, which blessed them with divine supernatural powers. The people who received the codes became wards. The wards worked with their assigned warrior angel in an angelic battle over the earth and the human species against Luc and his demon angels. Luc and his army had been cast out of heaven for trying to incite rebellion within the heavenly realm over six thousand years ago.
The Creator gave Anna the gift of healing and light of love. Ruby had prophetic dreams, and she’d given birth to a new ward, little Joe, in December. Jerry had the gift of writing binary code. During his code-writing sessions, sometimes he would receive encrypted messages.
Recently, Jerry received a message of a coming battle. That was why they were meeting at Everglade Farms. After Joe was born, Ruby’s mom, Lee, revealed she was a ward, too. She possessed all the powers of a warrior angel.
Years ago, while Sandy attended college, she and the girls began to journal in their diaries about their supernatural powers and events in what she coined The Ditch Lane Diaries. With every passing year, the Campbell Ridge wards became stronger. Tonight’s meeting would bring the wards and guardians under one roof for the first time to plan for the prophesied battle. Sandy sensed the battle and her drive to expose Cole were a part of a bigger picture. Her visions never allowed her to see into her own future.
As Sandy neared the tailor shop, the hair on her arms rose, and she felt a prickly sensation on the back of her neck. Something or someone was watching her, and it wasn’t Baldric.
Chapter 2
Sweetest Taboo
Henry’s Tailor Shop was crawling with cops. Baldric turned to Sandy and said, “Wait here. I’ll check.” He dematerialized and seconds later reappeared in the passenger seat. “The folder is still in front of the air filter inside the vent return. Cole’s boys are lurking outside while the police conduct their investigation. We have to wait until they leave the shop. You need to eat breakfast. You’re too skinny.”
Sandy glanced into her rearview mirror and ran her fingers over her face. “Thanks for the compliment, but I need to get inside Henry’s.”
With a raised brow, he said, “I’ll stay. I’ll make sure no one gets near the folder. Go to the diner down the street, drink a cup of coffee, and eat a bagel. You need your strength.”
Sandy rolled her eyes and waved her hand at him. “Okay, okay, Big B. Get out. I’ll be back in two shakes and a holler.” He chuckled. Sandy had nicknamed him Big B after he’d made his presence known to her in December.
Baldric appeared back inside Henry’s with his sword held in his right hand. Unnoticed by human men, He moved freely through the shop checking the place out for demon angels.
Caiojezeal (Kay-oh-jez-e-al), a commander in Luc’s army, materialized behind the walnut desk, splayed his fingers over the top, and glared at Baldric. “Where’s Luc’s Testament?”
Baldric waved cheerily to Caiojezeal. “Hey, there CJ. Missing something? You should be shouting with joy from the rooftops. Cole has secured the last piece of property on his acquisition list.”
Caiojezeal walked around the desk and stood toe to toe with Baldric. “Don’t play coy with me, you big brute. I sense Luc’s Testament. Where is it? Oh, shit. You sneaky bastard. You placed a protection veil over it, didn’t you?”
Baldric crossed his left arm over his chest and held onto his right bicep. With a feeling of satisfaction, he lied through his