Sapphire Angel by Khloe Wren Page B

her and took her face in his palms.
    "My Sharon’s Darcy? Her little girl?"
    "Yes."
    She was pulled into a tight hug, which earned them a growl from Angelo.
    "We can do the reunion later. We must get moving."
    ~ * ~
    Karl led the vampires through the maze of hallways to get to the dorms then stopped outside the main entrance.
    "Okay, men. Here we are. Inside this door is a security desk. When I left, there were a dozen Nobles standing guard. Once past that, you’ll find a dorm, each room has a bride and one or two Guardians. The brides are dressed in robes and restrained on beds... I’m sure you all realize I’ve signed my death warrant by helping you, if you could donate a weapon for me to use, I’d really appreciate it."
    He was quickly handed a large sharp knife then nodded his thanks.
    "Okay. Let’s go start us a war."
    He pushed open the door and quickly spun to the side to let the much quicker vampires enter. Within moments all hell broke loose. The first few Nobles were killed quickly as they were surprised. One of the remaining Nobles set off the alarm. The blaring siren seemed appropriate as Karl attempted to keep focus on the rapidly moving vampires. He noticed the Guardians begin to file from the dorm rooms. As soon as they saw the vampires they darted back in, and he had no doubt all the doors would be locked now.
    As much as Karl wanted to help, he was a crap fighter so he just tried to stay out of the way. He found a darkened corner near the desk and pressed himself into it just as a flood of Nobles rushed in through the door. Reinforcements responding to the alarm, no doubt. He choked down bile as a man’s head rolled to a stop at his feet. He was still trying to not retch when more men—no vampires—bolted through the door. These were obviously the captives he’d fed earlier. Their clothes were dirty and torn, and their hair and skin a mess. Following behind were the remaining rescuers and the unclaimed brides. Vampires blocked the doorway, shielding the women behind them.
    The newest vampires to join the party headed straight through to the dorm rooms. Karl guessed they would be able to sense their brides. Suddenly, he was pulled from the wall, a Noble had him, his shirt gripped tight in his fist.
    "You did this! You brought these creatures into our haven."
    Karl swung his knife up, aiming for the man’s throat, but he was too late. As he sliced into the man’s neck, he felt the burning pain of a knife entering his gut. The Noble before him was dead, but he was dying too. He fell to floor and watched as the vampires began kicking in doors and dragging out Guardians. He noted they were not being killed like the other Nobles. But being held as the vampire captives headed back into the rooms to their brides. Roars of fury filled the air as Karl’s vision turned black.
    His last thought was one of peace; in the end, he’d done the right thing.
    ~ * ~
    Barret’s body was sparking with energy and determination. He was free and had a full bag of his Bride’s blood pumping through his system. His Sharon was in pain, and she was being tortured by some prick. He moved through the hallways as fast as he could, toward the place he could sense she was. He stopped at the entrance and watched as his fellow vampires killed the last of the Noble guards. He turned to Darcy. He couldn’t believe his Sharon’s Darcy had been found, "You and the other brides stay out here until it’s clear. Sharon will not want you in harm’s way."
    He watched as Angelo, Darcy’s mate, and three others moved to stand in front of the women. Other vampires stood in a circle around them facing out. Confident they were adequately protected; he turned back and stormed over the bloodied floor to where he knew his Bride was. Tore the locked door from its frame and tossed it aside, he roughly grabbed the Noble standing before him and thrust him into the arms of a waiting vampire.
    "Do not kill him. I want my Sharon to have that