Carpathian 17 - Dark Curse

spite of the strain she had to be under. Her hair was bright red and hung in one thick, elaborate braid down her back. \"I\'m Shea Dubrinsky, Lara, Jacques is my life mate. We can\'t thank you enough for coming. Nicolas tells us that you may be able to give us a few more pieces to the puzzle to help us find our answers.\"
    Lara took a deep breath, glanced at Nicolas and then back to Shea. \"I can\'t just conjure up the memories, but I catch a glimpse now and then. If it helps, I\'m more than happy to tell you about them.\"
    \"We do plan to enter the ice cave as early as tomorrow evening,\" Nicolas added. \"If you can give us that extra time, by aiding Raven and Savannah to hold on a little longer, there is the possibility of finding out more clues.\"
    Shea frowned. \"I\'ve been researching this problem for some time. We know at this point we\'re working against a combination of things, including toxicities in the soil. In order for the soil to rejuvenate and heal us, we absorb necessary minerals through our skin. Every area has different minerals and various levels of richness, but we\'re finding more and more toxins as well. Our species is tied to the earth and we can\'t survive without the soil. If Xavier introduced something, a compound, a parasite that over the centuries has slowly killed our species, if we find out what it is, I believe we have a chance to combat it.\"
    Shea was trained as a doctor and a researcher before Jacques claimed her.
    \"I have a memory of Xavier when I was about seven or eight, just a glimpse of a woman who must have just lost her baby. There was soil in the room with her. Xavier was very pleased that she lost the child.\"
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    Christine Feehan: Dark Curse
    Small lines appeared along Shea\'s forehead as her brows drew together. \"He has had several centuries to perfect his attacks.\"
    \"Or introduce something that took place over time,\" Nicolas suggested. \"I have to take my leave.\" He bowed low in a gesture of respect toward Shea. \"We have a warriors\' council this night.\"
    She made a face at him. \"The all-important \'keep the women at home barefoot-and-pregnant,\' council? Yes, I\'d say you have decisions to make. Maybe I should stay home and forget all about my research, just leave it to Gregori and Gary. I do have a son to take care of.\"
    Lara frowned. \"I don\'t understand.\"
    \"Nicolas didn\'t tell you? The men are having a meeting tonight and discussing whether or not women should be allowed-allowed-to fight vampires, or whether we would do much better staying home having babies.\"
    \"I believe it would be a good idea to leave now,\" Nicolas said, and cupped Lara\'s face in his hands, bending to kiss her right in front of Shea.
    Lara blushed, but she kissed him back, her eyes shining. Before she could protest or ask questions, he began to shift. He wasn\'t going to debate with Shea Dubrinsky over whether or not women should be out fighting vampires. It was going to be a heated enough discussion between the men. It was not a decision any of them would take lightly, but something had to be done to save their species. He sent Lara a wave of warmth and disappeared into the night.
    Lara stared after him, not quite believing that he\'d abandoned her to a group of strangers. Besides, she frowned after him, he\'d taken the coward\'s way out and left before she could voice an opinion on the issue of men allowing or not allowing anything a woman did.
    Of course I will listen to your opinion.
    The intimacy of his voice made her blush all over again. Don\'t leave me too long .
    I will return as quickly as possible.
    She could hear the reassurance in his voice and it made her smile as she looked down the tunnel leading to the deeper chamber inside the cavern. \"Are there many women here?\"
    \"At the moment, we have about a dozen so we\'re more than glad that you have joined us. There aren\'t that many of us here in the mountains. We\'ve had to send delegates to the warriors\' council to speak for us as well as report back to us. Unfortunately, the men may have a legitimate argument and if so, we\'d all like to hear it so we can have a chance to agree or disagree for ourselves.\"
    It was obvious to Lara, Shea was trying to keep an open mind, but the subject irritated her. According to Nicolas, she was a modern woman who had gone through medical school, had a reputation as a valued researcher and felt the men were moving the women backward instead of forward, but she was trying to