The night air shuddered with power as Vader's gloved hand tightened around the Jinn's throat.
The blue flame creature struggled, its hollow eyes wide with terror as it faced something it had never encountered before - a Qareen that could harm another of its kind.
"What's happening?" John demanded, sensing the shift in temperature though he couldn't see the battle.
Lucien's eyes remained fixed on his Qareen. "Something... something of mine is fighting the Jinn."
Bonnie stared in terrified fascination as the Vader-like figure turned its helmeted head toward Lucien, seeking direction. She opened her mouth to speak when a sound cut through the night - a low, resonant growl that silenced everything else.
Everyone froze.
"Did you hear that?" Dean whispered, hand instinctively on his gun.
The growl came again, deeper this time, vibrating through the earth beneath their feet. From the darkness between the trees, two eyes gleamed - not reflecting light, but absorbing it. Points of absolute darkness against the night.
"Sam," Trevor said quietly, "get Bonnie behind you."
The Jinn's struggles became frantic, its blue form writhing in Vader's grip. "COMING! THE CHOOSING! RUN!" it screeched, the words only understandable to Bonnie.
A massive shape detached itself from the shadows, padding silently toward them. It resembled a jaguar, but its body was formed of living darkness - wisps of shadow swirling and reforming with each powerful step.
"Do you see that?" Sam asked, squinting into the darkness.
"See what?" Dean replied, eyes scanning the area where everyone was looking.
Lucien's gaze locked with Katherine's, then Trevor's. The recognition in their eyes confirmed what he suspected - only they could perceive the shadow jaguar.
Though perhaps Sam to an extent, could too.
The creature stalked forward, its attention fixed on Bonnie. The Jinn's scream reached a fever pitch: "NO! NOT HER! PROTECTED HER!"
In that moment, Lucien understood.
The pieces clicked together in his mind - Elena's mark, Bonnie's Jinn, the ancient Aztec deity.
This was the sacrifice marker, the key to understanding what was happening in Mystic Falls.
A cold smile spread across Lucien's face. "Perfect."
"What's perfect?" Dean demanded, still seeing nothing. "What the hell is going on?"
The jaguar crouched, muscles bunching beneath its shadow-skin as it prepared to leap at Bonnie.
"Sam, catch!" Lucien shouted, extending his hand toward Bonnie.
With a powerful Force push, he sent Bonnie flying toward Sam - strong enough to move her quickly but carefully modulated not to harm her. Sam caught her with a surprised grunt, staggering back a step.
The jaguar, already mid-leap, couldn't stop, and redirected itself toward Lucien instead.
"LUCIEN!" John shouted, seeing his son standing alone as if challenging an invisible enemy.
The shadow jaguar slammed into Lucien, its massive jaws clamping onto his raised right arm. Blood welled immediately, spattering the ground as teeth pierced flesh and muscle.
Katherine hissed, her eyes darkening but keeping calm, observing. Seeing what the boy has planned.
Trevor reached for his whip, though uncertainty flickered across his face at fighting an enemy he could barely track.
But Lucien remained calm, his expression curious rather than pained as he looked at the jaguar latched onto his arm.
"Interesting," he murmured. "I can't feel it at all."
But soon his focus turned towards the creature, as he grinned, and said. "Let's play, little kitty," looking directly into its eyes, it being his very height.
The boy instantly twisted his trapped arm, using the jaguar's grip against it. He dropped his weight suddenly, driving the creature into the ground - surprising it, its eyes blowing wide.
His foot came down hard on its neck, pinning it as he maintained his grip on its head.
"Let's see what you can do," Lucien growled, planting his foot more firmly as he pulled upward with great strength.
The sound that followed was like tearing silk magnified a thousandfold. The jaguar roared in agony, as its head separated from its body in one clean motion, Lucien's arm still clamped in its jaws.
The severed head roared even more strongly - a sound of primal rage and ancient power - before dissolving into wisps of shadow that faded into the night air.
Silence fell over the group.
Dean was at Lucien's side in an instant, grabbing him by the shoulders and turning him around to check for injuries. "Jesus, Lu! Are you okay? Your arm-"
Lucien glanced down at his right arm, where blood had soaked his sleeve. But as he pushed the torn fabric aside, the skin beneath was unmarked, completely healed.
Only then did he notice that the Qareens had vanished - both his Vader-like manifestation and Bonnie's tormenting Jinn.
"Did none of you see that?" Lucien asked, looking around at the confused faces.
"See what?" Sam asked, still supporting a dazed Bonnie.
Dean's eyes narrowed as he noticed something on Lucien's palm. "What the hell is that?" He grabbed Lucien's hand, turning it over to reveal a black jaguar mark identical to Elena's, but positioned in the center of his palm rather than around his wrist.
"It's a mark," Katherine said, strolling casually toward them. "A selection mark, to be precise. The jaguar is the symbol of Tezcatlipoca, the Smoking Mirror." She examined Lucien's palm with interest. "Our little god just redirected a sacrifice marker."
Before anyone could respond, headlights cut through the darkness as a car skidded to a stop at the edge of the property. Bonnie's father burst out, his face contorted with worry and anger.
"Bonnie!" he shouted, rushing toward them. "What the hell is going on here?"
He gathered his daughter into his arms, checking her for injuries. "Are you okay? What were you thinking, running off like that?"
Bonnie, free from the Jinn's influence and the constant pain it had inflicted, blinked drowsily. "Dad? I... I'm sorry. The headache's gone..." Her voice trailed off as exhaustion overtook her.
Mr. Hopkins looked up at the assembled group, his expression shifting from anger to concern as he noticed his daughter's condition. "I don't know what happened here, but I'm taking her home. She needs rest."
"Of course," John said, stepping forward with a calm, "We were concerned when she showed up disoriented. We were about to call you."
Mr. Hopkins nodded stiffly. "I appreciate that. I'm sorry about the intrusion. I'll... I'll have a talk with her when she's feeling better." He glanced down at his now-sleeping daughter. "I should get her home."
John and Sam walked Mr. Hopkins back to his car, helping him settle Bonnie in the passenger seat. As the car pulled away, John turned to the others.
"Inside," he ordered. "Now."
----------------------
The library of the Salvatore Boarding House felt smaller with everyone crowded inside. Zach Salvatore leaned against a bookshelf, watching the proceedings with wary eyes.
This was his home, after all, though he'd grown accustomed to the strange events that seemed to follow the Winchesters.
"So let me get this straight," Dean said, pacing the length of the room. "A shadow jaguar that only some of you could see attacked, tried to bite Bonnie, bit you instead, and left that mark on your palm?"
"That's about the size of it," Lucien replied, examining the mark with interest.
Dean stopped pacing and rounded on Lucien. "What the hell were you thinking?" His voice rose with each word. "You deliberately put yourself in the path of some supernatural... thing that we don't understand!"
Lucien looked up, annoyance flashing across his face. "I was thinking that now we have a direct link to whatever's happening in this town. Whoever or whatever is behind this will target me too now."
Dean threw his hands up in exasperation. "And that's supposed to be a good thing?"
"Yes!" Lucien snapped. "It's called investigation, Dean. You know, the thing hunters do?"
'Besides, I have my... backups.' Lucien thought to himself, though didn't voice this.
As they say, to fool your enemy, first you must fool your close ones.
Sam crouched down beside Lucien's chair, his expression concerned. "Lucien, do you understand how much danger you put yourself in? We have no idea what this mark means or what it might do to you."
Lucien rolled his eyes. "When is this babying going to end? I killed a fucking dragon! I fought and killed a super-werewolf knight! It was either this or letting Bonnie get marked."
He leaned forward, eyes intense. "Isn't this what hunting is about? Putting yourself in danger to find out the truth and protect innocent people from monsters?"
Katherine seeing her opportunity glided across the room, positioning herself behind Lucien's chair. She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around him from behind in a hug.
"It really seems that only I understand how powerful you are and can be," she purred, her chin resting on his head. "Isn't that so, my dear little god?"
Dean's face darkened, but before he could respond, John stepped forward.
"Lucien has a point," he said, his voice measured. "But hunters don't just put themselves in danger for no reason if there's another way." He fixed Lucien with a steady gaze. "So I have one question for you son: could you have dealt with this jaguar curse without letting it mark you instead of Bonnie?"
Lucien fell silent, considering the question seriously. After a long moment, he shook his head. "I don't think so. It was targeting Bonnie specifically. If it didn't have a sacrifice, I was worried it would go after her again."
He looked up at his father. "After it bit me, I felt Bonnie's aura shift. She's not targeted anymore. This could be temporary, but right now, Bonnie Bennett is free from whatever's causing this."
John after a moment of silencfe, nodded, approaching Lucien. He reached out and ruffled his son's hair gently. "Good work," he said simply, then turned away.
"Dad?" Dean called after him, disbelief in his voice.
"I'm going to make some food," John said without turning around. "I'm hungry. I'm sure everyone else is too."
Katherine immediately stepped forward. "I'll come help," she offered with a smile.
John turned, fixing her with a deadpan stare that clearly said, "Like hell I'm letting you anywhere near our food."
Katherine placed a hand over her heart in mock offense. "Come on, Dad, Don't you trust me?"
"No," John replied bluntly. "Absolutely not." He turned and walked toward the kitchen without another word.
Zach Salvatore cleared his throat. "I'll, uh, show you where everything is," he said, following John. "Some of those cupboards stick."
More an excuse really to get away from here, since, John most definitely knows where things are.
Dean stood in the center of the room, frustration radiating from every line of his body, wanting to nearly pull all his hair out. He opened his mouth to speak, but Sam placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Come on," Sam said quietly. "Let's get some air."
"I could use a beer," Trevor added, moving toward Dean's other side. "Maybe two."
Dean shook his head. "I'm not leaving Lu alone with her," he said, jerking his chin toward Katherine, who was still embracing Lucien from behind.
"You're not helping like this," Sam pointed out. "You need to cool down."
Trevor nodded in agreement. "Beer helps with that. Trust me."
After a moment of internal struggle, Dean relented, allowing Sam and Trevor to guide him from the room.
His backward glance at Lucien was filled with concern and frustration in equal measure.
As their footsteps receded, Katherine and Lucien were left alone, her arms still wrapped around him from behind.
"Aren't you going to comment on the mark?" Lucien asked, breaking the silence.
Katherine's lips curved into a smile against his hair. "I'm not worried about it."
"That doesn't show the 'care' you're trying to display," Lucien replied sarcastically.
Katherine laughed, the sound rich and genuine. In one fluid motion, she scooped Lucien up into her arms.
"Put me down," Lucien warned, crossing his arms, "or I'll break your neck."
Katherine merely smiled, vampire-speeding to the couch. She settled with Lucien in her lap, arms wrapped securely around him.
"This is getting old," Lucien sighed, making no real effort to escape, seeing it as pointless.
Katherine tightened her hold slightly, inhaling his scent. "It really isn't."
Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Besides, you can't tell me you don't like the affection, the feeling of being number one. You may act like you don't because it's coming from me, but you do."
Her fingers traced patterns on his arm. "You're quite starved for it, aren't you? It must be hard, constantly being able to feel how you're second place to everyone in your family if it came down to it."
Lucien stiffened in her arms. "What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb," Katherine said gently. "It doesn't suit you. I've been studying you and your family for years now. I know your dynamics quite well."
"By studying, you mean stalking," Lucien corrected.
Katherine chuckled. "Semantics. It gets the job done."
Lucien turned slightly to look at her. After a moment of silence spoke. "What makes you think you're any different? I know your character quite well. That 'heart-to-heart' we had isn't blinding me to the fact that Katherine Pierce's number one is always gonna be Katherine Pierce."
His eyes narrowed. "How can you possibly expect me to love you, to protect you against someone like Klaus who can bring down mountains with a word, when I know that if danger came or someone stronger appeared, you'd jump ship?"
A long silence followed his question. Katherine's expression grew serious, contemplative.
"You really don't understand what I'm saying, do you?" she finally said, turning him in her lap to face her directly. "You are my final gamble. There are no backup plans, no 'jumping ship.'"
Her eyes locked with his, intense and unwavering. "I understand you better than anyone, better than your own family. You are a demanding god, one who cannot be second to anyone, and one incapable of being fooled."
"Meaning?" Lucien asked, not acknowledging her claim of understanding him better than his family.
A faint smirk tugged at her lips, her usual Katherine sass slipping back in even as her eyes betrayed something rawer.
"Meaning I'm going to open my heart to you," Katherine said, "Open my heart for the first time in five centuries. For the first time, allow Katerina Petrova, who finally sees the hopeful sun, to claw out of the dark cave she holed herself into out of fear."
Lucien looked into her eyes, reaching out with the Force to search her feelings. The truth he found there surprised him.
A smirk formed on his lips as he tried to regain some control of the situation, since she was directing the conversation, and hitting so many spots.
"Ironic," he observed. "In your desire for survival, safety, immortality, and love, you must give your heart to me. Meaning in the end, you would truly love me and be ready to die for me if it came down to it."
His smirk widened. "Quite the gamble, because you have no idea what the future of a 'god' has in store, do you?"
Katherine's smirk was unwavering, though something deeper lurked in her eyes. "I'm willing to risk that."
The moment hung between them, silent.
"Food's ready!" Sam suddenly called from the doorway, breaking the tension. "Dad says to come while it's hot."
Katherine's arms loosened reluctantly as Lucien slid from her lap.
Their eyes met once more before they moved to join the others.
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(Author note: Hello everyone! I hope you all liked the chapter.
So Lucien is marked, but it seems he has his plans.
Do tell me what you think will happen.
Also, Katherine is being sincere here, but can she keep this sincerity, is the question? Can she follow through? It is her final option for survival, but it most definitely is hard.
I'm interested in your thoughts.
Well, I hope to see you all later,
Bye!)