Christine Feehan - Dark Curse 19

There was a murmur of agreement in the chamber and several nodded their heads. Destiny glanced at her lifemate, clearly asking him questions. She scowled at his answers.

«You re talking about something that happened centuries ago, Nicolas. Times are different and the world is different. You can't live in the past.»

«No, but we can learn from it,» Nicolas said. «We lost everything by not protecting our women. Everything . We are down to thirty or so women who can maybe provide one or two lifemates for our males, if we manage to figure out what is killing our children. We cannot afford to think in terms of humans or any other species that have numerous numbers to fall back on. If they choose to forget their women and children, that's their problem, but we cannot. We have to do everything in our power to protect the few that we have.»

«You can't lock up the women, Nicolas,» Lucian said, «as much as we may want to.»

«We could try,» Dimitri, one of the single men, muttered under his breath.

Jaxon shot him a hostile look. «You can try, but I wouldn't count on it ever happening.»

Gregori stirred, drawing all eyes instantly. «Destiny is correct in that our women and children should be taught how to defend themselves. But I agree with Nicolas on this point. No child and no woman should go unescorted. We have too many enemies and if we can no longer detect them, they could walk through our village and would never be aware of the danger.»

Jaxon frowned. «Do you really think any grown woman is going to sit in her home waiting for an escort when she has things to do?»

«We all make sacrifices in times of need,» Gregori said.

Jaxon rolled her eyes. «Then you wait in your house for one of us to come escort you. Try it for a few risings and see how you like it.» She turned her head and met her lifemate's icy gaze. «If I feel like visiting a friend or relative, I'm certainly going to do it.»

«Now you sound like a sulky child deliberately misunderstanding what I am saying to you,» Gregori said. «No one wants to dictate to you. The reality is quite simple. We need children, not fighters, and women have babies not men. We have a surplus of fighters and very few women so the task of giving birth falls to the women.»

«Really?» Destiny's eyebrow shot up. «So what I'm hearing is that Nicolae should be allowed to fight the vampire, but not me because if I get killed we lose me as a brood mare.»

«That is not what I said,» Gregori denied.

«That's what it sounded like to me,» Jaxon said. «And if she stayed home like a good little pregnant woman, and Nicolae was killed, what do you think would happen anyway? This entire argument is ridiculous. Maybe you're looking for some sign that we should know our places in the home and stay there, but we were not born nor raised Carpathian. We have our own baggage that comes with each individual and some of us need to act. Others need to stay in the home and still others want to heal or research or carry on with whatever work interests them. And that, my friend, is our right.»

«I disagree,» Gregori said, his voice quiet, but carrying easily through the cave. «You are Carpathian and as such, there are certain differences in our species we cannot get around. Your first loyalty is not to yourselves, but to our people as a whole. We do what is best for all of us, not just individuals. For instance, our first duty is to the prince of our people. Without him, we cannot exist, so his protection must come first at all times. Every man, woman and child should be taught that, respect that and whole-heartedly serve.»

«I think all women have proven we're willing to serve the Carpathian people,» Jaxon said. «We just don't want to go back to the dark ages when men dictated to women.»

Swift impatience crossed Gregori's face. «Do you honestly believe this is about male versus female? This is about saving a species, not women's rights.»

«So how is it saving the species to have my lifemate go out and fight the vampire, leaving me at home to worry whether or not he's coming home? If he dies, we both do. The risk is great either way. In a perfect

world, neither of us would be fighting vampires, but the world isn't so perfect, is it, Gregori? If I feel the need to stand by my lifemate and help to bring him home safe, you bet it is about my rights.»

Gregori leaned close, his silver eyes slashing at Jaxon. «Why would you think, for one moment, that your presence does anything but jeopardize your lifemate's ability to fight? He is our greatest warrior. No one compares to him in battle. He has fought a thousand years, has more experience than any other, yet you, a female, once human, with so few years you are considered a child in our species, you think that he is not divided when he now battles? That his risk is lessened by your presence? It is more than doubled. He has to have one eye on you at all times. He has to keep his mind merged with yours in order to ensure your safety. Even directing you, he is divided, not wholly focused on the kill.»

«Gregori,» Lucian warned, his gaze going flat and cold.

Jaxon held up her hand. «No, this is why were here, isn't it? To hear both sides of this argument. I want to hear why Gregori and so many others are opposed to the women fighting the vampire. If I don't understand why he is opposed, I will never have a chance to agree with him.»

Then be very careful, little brother, how you address my lifemate.

I speak the truth to her and you know it. You have a thousand times the risk when she is along. She has to understand that.

Lucian's cool gaze swept over his brother.Perhaps, but it is my risk to take .

I disagree. We cannot lose you, nor can we afford the loss of your lifemate. You have too long lived in a solitary world, going your own way and making your decisions based not on saving a dying species, but on Vlad's directive to seek and destroy the vampire. We have a new prince and a new threat that must be addressed.

You are very close to getting your ass kicked, little brother.

You are more than welcome to try.

Jaxon glanced from her lifemate's cold gaze to Gregori's slashing one. «I know the two of you are arguing over this, but I really want to hear what Gregori has to say. Lucian, please.»

She slipped a restraining hand up his arm in a loving gesture that made Nicolas turn his head away and long for Lara's touch. Again he tried to reach out to her but only heard the sounds of the long-forgotten Carpathian lullaby. He turned his attention back to the discussion raging around him, but this time, he couldn't quite shake the feeling that something wasn't right.

Lucian slipped his arm around Jaxon's waist, but nodded his head toward Gregori.

Gregori folded his arms across his chest. «Look at your lifemate in this moment. There is no threat to you, yet he is protective, ready to come at me if I say a word out of place to you. It is our nature, ingrained in us from before our birth, to protect our lifemate. Words and circumstance cannot change that, nor would we want it to change. Do you think this is less so in battle? Before you, he had only strategy and his own life to think about, now he must divide his attention and watch out for you. Even with the knowledge he shares with you of battles, even with his vast experience for you to draw on, you cannot be nearly fast enough.»

«Every warrior has to start somewhere,» Destiny countered. «You have young men practicing. We can do the same.»

«Why would you want to?» Nicolas demanded. «Why would you want to face such a monster and risk your life when it is so precious to so many?»

«I cannot stop,» Destiny answered truthfully. «Perhaps if Nicolae no longer hunted, I would be able to lay it down, but in truth, I am not certain I can.»