Sapphire Angel

by Khloe Wren

  "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 pleasure."

  He heard a chorus of agreement from the other captive vampires as they too ripped the Nobles from their Brides. With a low growl he turned back to the room, only to roar in fury. His Eternal Bride lay bound to a bed, helpless. Her thin robe had been pushed open, leaving her naked body on display. He could see marks over her body, small but still marks. In a rage he flew to her side and easily ripped the bindings free of her. A soft palm on his cheek made him stop. The rich berry scent of his Sharon teased his nose. It had been so long since he’d smelled her, or felt her. He dropped to his knees beside her bed. The rage draining from him as she caressed his face with her soft skin.

  "Oh, Barret, my love. You came for me."

  "I’ve missed you so much, my Sharon."

  He didn’t try to stem the tears flowing from his eyes as he reached up and pulled her onto his lap on the floor. He kissed her lips then feathered kisses all over her face. He had his Bride back in his arms.

  "I am so sorry I didn’t come sooner."

  Sharon put a finger over his mouth, "I know what they did to you and the others. I know you had no choice. You’re here now. That’s all that matters."

  He pulled her close. His emotions were running rampant. He couldn’t keep up. He felt her hands tunnel into his hair, her nails scraping his scalp. Just how he liked it. He shuddered as he felt her tears land on his neck.

  Suddenly she pulled back, "What about the others?"

  "We are all free. A noble, Karl, gave us extra blood. He told me you were being hurt and he wanted to help stop it. Then after we were free we found a group of vampires who had saved the unclaimed brides. Darcy was with them. Your Darcy led the rescue."

  "She came back."

  "What do you mean 'back'?"

  "She was captured. Then they took her one night and we never saw her again. I thought she must have died. Before she left, she told me she’d return for us if she escaped."

  "True to her word, she did."

  "What happened to Karl? He was her Guardian, and he tried to stop Burke from touching me earlier."

  "I’m not sure; I wasn’t looking for him when I came in. Come, love, let’s get out of here."

  He stood with her in his arms.

  "Wait. Let me get dressed, my clothes are on the shelf over there."

  Not wanting to leave her for even a moment he retrieved her clothes and helped her dress then picked her back up and headed out of the doorway.

  He stopped short at the lack of Nobles.

  "Where are they?"

  Darcy stepped forward from the group of vampires and ran to her mother. Barret put Sharon on her feet so she could embrace her daughter.

  "Don’t worry, Barret, Burke is still alive. Since they all took great delight in tying me to a tree a week ago, I just thought I’d return the favor. All the Guardians are out in the golf course, tied to trees. Waiting for us to think up how best to punish them. Well, all except Karl."

  Barret took in the sadness of Darcy’s face, "What happened to Karl? It was he who gave us extra blood, enabling our escape."

  "Another Noble killed him in the fight earlier."

  He felt Sharon’s body sag as she again embraced her daughter.

  As the women shared their moment, he glanced around and noticed all the other captive vampires now held their brides in their arms. With smiles all around, everyone began to file out of the room toward the back of the premises and the golf course.

  ~ * ~

  Angelo watched as Darcy released her mother into Barret’s care. She turned toward him and he saw the shine of unshed tears.

  "Let’s go deal with these Guardian bastards, so we can all go back to the apartments and relax."

  Angelo couldn’t help but grin as everyone followed her order. She’d wondered how she would possibly become queen; she was already doing it, taking charge and running things for the greater good of all vampires and Brides. His heart swelled with love for his Bride. His Queen. Unable to resist, he swooped in for a hard fast kiss.

  "I love you."

  "And I you."

  Taking her hand they led the others out of the dorm room and through now empty hallways to the back of the building.

  Opening the rear door he heard the screams. Human males in pain made those kinds of noises. He frowned in confusion. He thought the men would be left untouched until the Brides had their chance at some revenge. He felt Darcy stiffen beside him and he released her hand to push forward out the door to investigate what was happening. He strode to the edge of the pavement before he froze in shock and confusion. What the hell was going on?

  The vampires who had been in charge of the captured Nobles where all stamping their feet and slapping at their legs. Five of the twenty men were tied to trees. He briefly scanned the area for the other humans. He saw half a dozen bodies lying between the trees and could see vampires stalking further out. No Guardians would escape, of that he was confident.

  Hearing gasps near him he turned to see everyone had followed him out. They now stood staring at the chaos that was unfolding before them.

  "Ants. I’d guess jumping ants. They’re big and sting like a wasp. Not sure you have them in Italy."

  He’d certainly never heard of them.

  "How do we get rid of them?" A voice yelled from over in the chaos somewhere.

  "Move away from their nest, they are protecting their queen. Water will probably be the best bet."

  He watched in awe as Darcy again took control of the situation. He wasn’t sure if it was her mind influence power or if it was just the aura of authority in her tone, but either way, it was incredible to watch.

  Darcy turned to a number of unmated vampires, "Can you show them around the side of the building, away from here? Get them to strip naked and use the hose to wash off any remaining ants. I can see a small shed over there, hopefully the ground keeper’s. You’ll find what you need in there." She turned to another small group of vampires, "Can you go back inside and find clothes for them to wear. There’s no way of getting all the ants out of their clothes."

  As everybody moved to carry out her orders Angelo gazed at the men tied up. Their screams ramping up as the ants moved over their bodies. He focused in on Burke, the bastard who had hurt Darcy’s mother. He could see movement over his body up to his neck. He winced as he saw an ant sting the tender flesh th
ere. He watched in macabre fascination as the bite turned red and began to swell. Sharon’s pain filled voice brought his attention back to the women behind him.

  "Please. Make it stop. The screaming."

  Barret gathered her close, "Are you sure? Seems to me to be a fitting end for them."

  "I’m sure. They may be cruel and deserve punishment for what they have done. But I—we are not that cruel. We will not stoop to their level and attempt to make ourselves feel better by making others feel worse. Please, Barret, end it now."

  In that moment Angelo knew where Darcy got her sense of compassion and justice. He couldn’t be prouder of the Brides before him, not just his own, but all of them. They were so strong, brave and resilient. He unsheathed the three blades he had on his belt then handed one to Barret, another to the vampire standing next to him, and the third to another of the rescued vampires.

  "I imagine a knife to the heart would solve the current problem—and you can throw from a distance. You don’t want to get those ants on you by the look of it."

  Chapter Ten

  Darcy curled up next to Angelo, cuddled into his side. His strong heavy arm came around her to hold her in tight to him. She had mixed feelings running through her as she turned her head to look back at the Nobles’ stronghold. The orange glow from the back of the building and from the lower windows gave it an eerie glow.

  With so many bodies and so much evidence everywhere, the easiest solution was to burn it. This far out of town it would be some time before the fire grew big enough for someone to see it and report it. She pondered the evening as she buried her face into Angelo’s embrace.

  "You were magnificent tonight, piccola. The perfect Queen."

  Her head jerked up, "What do you mean 'perfect queen'? I just did what needed to be done."

  He kissed her lightly on the tip of her nose, "That is why. You did not panic, or get hysterical. You simply took control and got everyone out safely."

  She grunted her response. It was all she was capable of. Was being queen really that simple? Did she just have to follow her heart and gut instincts to do what needed to be done? She thought over the decisions she’d made and how everyone followed her orders—orders she didn’t use her powers to enforce.

  Lost in thought she didn’t realize they’d arrived back at the apartment until Angelo moved away from her.

  "Venire, Darcy. Give your mind a rest and come inside. We need to get the others settled so I can take you up to our bed."

  His sly grin and his heated gaze brought a giggle out of her. The time being early morning, it was now officially the twenty-ninth of February.

  "I’m not going to get much sleep today am I?"

  His grin widened, "Not if I have anything to say about the matter."

  With that he pulled her from the car and headed into the apartment lobby. The moment they pushed through the revolving door she was grabbed in a rib-cracking embrace by a woman she’d never seen before.

  "Mother, she cannot breathe."

  Moments after Angelo’s comment she was released and she heaved in a breath.

  "Darcy, this is Bellissa, my mother. Mother, this is Darcy, my Eternal Bride."

  Butterflies fluttered in her stomach at the pride in Angelo’s tone.

  "Buonasera Darcy, it is lovely to meet you—"

  Darcy chuckled as Luca strode up to Bellissa and swept her off her feet mid-sentence.

  "Mia Bella, I did not know you were flying in."

  "I know. We all wanted to be with our vampires for the twenty-ninth. All the team’s Brides came. I had double reason to come. I wanted to meet Darcy."

  "Si, si, I am simply glad you are here. I was not looking forward to the twenty-ninth without you."

  Darcy was fascinated watching Angelo’s parents, so obviously still deep in love with each other even after, however many years they’d been married.

  Apparently, Angelo didn’t share her fascination.

  "Save it for later, we have to get the others settled before we can retire to our apartments."

  With obvious reluctance Luca stepped away from his Bride.

  "Si, let’s get the rescued ones settled in."

  Darcy turned toward where the others had gathered together. They looked lost and scared. She guessed most of them had been locked up in that house for many years. She could see there was going to be a need for education on modern technology and times for all the rescued vampires. Which reminded her...

  "Luca, have you heard how the other raids went?"

  "Not yet ma cara. It will take days at least to receive the reports. Come on, let’s get everyone settled and we’ll worry about everything else later."

  Darcy watched as Angelo left her and walked to the reception desk. After a moment of chatting, the attendant handed over a small box filled with key cards.

  "Darcy?"

  Fiona’s quiet voice came from behind her and startled her. She spun around with her hand over her heart.

  "Hey Fiona, you scared me!"

  "Oh, I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to."

  Blowing out a deep breath Darcy shook her head, "No, it’s fine. I was just a little too focused on my man, er, vampire. What’s up?"

  Fiona looked over her shoulder before turning back to Darcy.

  "I don’t know what to do, Darcy. Orlando is gorgeous and all, and he did rush in and rescue me..."

  "But he’s as big as a mountain and scares you just a little?" Darcy offered up.

  "Well yeah. I mean, look at him. And today is the twenty-ninth."

  Darcy watched as Fiona stared at the ground and nervously shuffled her feet.

  "I. Um. I was taken captive young. Before I’d ever, ahh, ever been with a guy."

  Darcy smiled gently at her friend, who now had the cutest blush over her cheeks.

  "Oh honey, Orlando will look after you. He’d never hurt you. And if you say stop, he will. Angelo was beyond patient with me, and I’m sure Orlando will be with you too. Just talk to him, tell him how you’re feeling, and he’ll understand—then he’ll make you forget about all of it." She gave her friend a big wolfish grin and winked.

  Fiona rolled her eyes and giggled a little. Darcy sent a gentle command to Orlando to come over to Fiona. He didn’t need much of a push. She guessed he’d been struggling to not come over since Fiona had left his side. Orlando approached them looking nervous, which was a little ridiculous on such a large muscle bound vampire. Darcy took each of their hands and put them together.

  "Go up to your apartment and talk. Get everything out in the open, then take it from there."

  She stood back as Orlando released Fiona’s hand to sweep her up in his arms. She watched as they headed back to the elevators to go to Orlando’s apartment.

  "I see you worked your magic again. All sorted?"

  Darcy smiled at Angelo, "I think so. I’m sure they’ll be fine."

  "Orlando is a good vampire. I assure you, he will take good care of your friend."

  She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his.

  "Okay, one couple down, how many more to go?"

  Angelo’s deep masculine chuckle sent vibrations through her body and landed in her core, heating her up. She saw his nose flare before he growled quiet and low.

  "Per favore, hurry. I need you." He thrust a key card into her hand, "Take your mother and Barret to Suite 3904 then meet me at our apartment. I should be done by then."

  He turned, strode over to the group of vampires and she watched breathlessly as he began handing out keys.

  Movement to her left caught her attention and she turned as her mother reached her side.

  "You came back and rescued all of us. I am so proud of you, Darcy."

  Darcy felt tears prick her eyes as her mother wrapped her in an embrace. Her mother’s kind words meant so much to her.

  "C’mon, follow me and we’ll get you settled."

  Using the elevator, Darcy led Barret and her mother to the upper levels of the building, wher
e the hotel style vampire friendly suites where. She tried to not laugh at their wide eyes and gaping mouths.

  "How long were you held?"

  "That depends on what the date is today." Barret said in a distracted tone as he examined the security keypad on the lift’s wall.

  "I’m sure you realize it is the twenty-ninth of February of the year two thousand twelve."

  Darcy stepped back in shock as both Barret and Sharon’s devastated gazes found hers and their spines visibly stiffened.

  "Twenty-seven years." Her mother’s softly spoken words cut through the airlift like a sharp knife. Darcy couldn’t begin to understand what they must be feeling. So much had changed in the last twenty-odd years. The ding signaling the elevator had reached their destination brought Darcy out of her trance.

  Exiting the lift, she led them to room number 3904. She felt Barret’s intense stare on her as she slid the key card through the scanner next to the door. Once the way was open, she stepped inside, holding the door to allow them easy entrance. With a hand on Sharon’s lower back, Darcy watched Barret guide her into the suite.

  "Um, I know you want to be alone so I’ll leave you to it. The shutters come down automatically at daybreak, and the bedroom is central with no windows. If you need me, Angelo and I are in the penthouse apartment, just dial zero on the phone and ask the reception desk to put you through. Any questions?"

  Barret looked around the room they stood in. Darcy smiled as he turned back to Sharon, who was watching him with a heated gaze. She needed to get out of here before these two jumped each other, a scene Darcy did not need to see.

  "Thank you, Darcy, but I think most things can wait until tomorrow."

  "Um, yeah, sure."

  Sharon blushed and chuckled as Darcy headed out of the room to go in search of Angelo.

  ~ * ~

  Angelo paced just inside the penthouse door. His Bride was fertile, and her hormones called out to him. He’d settled all the vampires as quickly as he could. Watching the heat and smelling the arousal between each couple had stretched his patience, increased the need he had for his own Eternal Bride, his Darcy. On returning to their apartment and discovering he’d arrived first he pulled back the covers on the bed, put a few little things close by to use later. He’d felt restricted, confined, so he’d removed his shirt and shoes. In only his black leather pants, he waited. He’d worn them as they were practical for fighting, tough enough to withstand a few hits. The fact Darcy just about drooled at him when he’d put them on, well, that was just a nice bonus and ensured that he kept them on to greet her.