Dark Curse Page 0,163

arm, pulling her behind him. "We have company. Let us meet them at the entrance to the cave, away from where your aunts rest."

To Lara's surprise, Shea and Jacques Dubrinsky stood waiting for an invitation to enter, Jacques holding their infant son in his arms. It was the first time Lara had ever gotten a good glimpse of the man who was lifemate to the Carpathian's researcher. He reminded her in some ways of her father, that ravaged look, with lines etched deep, eyes that had seen too much pain and suffering. She had heard the rumors of this man, of his splintered mind and how truly dangerous he was, but watching him hold his son so tenderly, it was difficult to believe.

"We've come asking more from your lifemate, Nicolas," Jacques said without preamble. "I understand

these journeys she makes are difficult, and I would not ask, but Shea thinks it is necessary." His gaze slid to his lifemate and the tenderness in his expression was touching.

"It isn't so bad now that I know what I'm doing," Lara said. "And I have Nicolas as well to anchor me." She cleared her throat, thinking to confess her problem with giving or taking blood, which made the journeying difficult. She could only take blood from Nicolas and she didn't want to take a journey without him close. Reliving her childhood repeatedly was taxing.

It is no one's business. Nicolas reached out and took her hand, bringing her palm to his chest.

Shea touched her son's foot and looked up at both of them, blinking back sudden emotion. "He isn't doing well. Our son. He's struggling and I've tried everything I know how to do, and he's still losing ground. Gregori and Francesca have both examined him repeatedly, but he has the same wasting disease the other children we've lost has had. I cannot feed him properly and the mixtures I've tried for him are not nourishing him."

"Shea, I'm so sorry," Lara said. "We had no idea. No one's said a word."

"We thought it best to keep it private," Jacques replied. "A few of our women are pregnant now and we do not want to chance causing them more stress."

"What can I do?" Lara asked.

"Journey and see if he is infected with the microbe."

Lara and Nicolas exchanged a long look of sudden comprehension. "You think I'll find one, don't you?"

Shea bit her lip, nodding as she did so. "I think a microbe finds the male first and when he has sex with his lifemate, the microbe travels to her, leaving him open territory. While he lies sleeping in the soil, another enters, through his skin most likely. The first microbe has found the female host and lies in weight for conception. If she becomes pregnant, the organism forces her to miscarry by continually attacking the baby, but if it isn't successful, I believe the microbe then travels into the baby, again leaving her without one. So the cycle starts all over again with the man once again infecting the woman. Once inside the baby, the microbe slowly kills it."

Lara closed her eyes briefly. Shea's theory sounded very sensible, especially since they had found Xavier's laboratory and his series of pools. Each was a different environment for the extremophile.

"Unfortunately, your theory matches evidence we found in the ice caves. These microorganisms are very difficult to kill as a rule, Shea. We re burning them one by one, but if everyone is continually infected each time we go to ground, it will be impossible to keep up."

Nicolas's hand curved around the nape of Lara's neck. "Especially when so far, Lara's the only one who can find them. And when I convert her, she may not be able to do so anymore. Natalya cannot."

Shea gasped. "You can't convert her, Nicolas." She shook her head. "I know how much you both must want to, but you can't. We can't take any chances. This is too important to all of us. Until I can find an antibody that will fight this thing in the ground, Lara is our only hope."

"Xavier corrupts the extremophiles. If someone collects them for you, perhaps you can use the original superpowered bugs to fight his corrupt ones," Lara offered. "I've collected them for research before and

scientists all over the world believe the extremophile can be used to cure many diseases. They actually will defend against other microbes, so maybe the answer is the simplest of all. Use the original."

Shea's expression brightened. "You saw evidence of mutation?"

Lara