Sam woke to the sound of rustling fabric. Through bleary eyes, he saw Lucien hunched over his bed, stripping bloodied sheets.
"Lucien?" Sam pushed himself up on his elbows, glancing at the digital clock - 5:17 AM. "What are you doing?"
Lucien startled slightly, then continued his task without looking up. "Just cleaning."
As Lucien bundled the sheets, Sam noticed the dark stains saturating the fabric.
Blood.
A lot of it.
"Jesus, Lucien!" Sam was fully awake now, crossing the room in two strides. "What happened? Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine," Lucien replied, finally meeting Sam's eyes. "But we need to burn these. Now."
"Burn them? Why?"
Lucien glanced toward the adjoining room where John and Dean still slept. "My blood... it can be used for tracking, for rituals. We can't risk anyone getting hold of it."
Something in his tone stopped Sam from asking further questions. Instead, he pulled on his jeans and grabbed his jacket. "There's a dumpster behind the motel. We can use it."
They slipped out silently, carrying the bundled sheets between them. The pre-dawn air was crisp, their breath forming small clouds in the darkness. Sam gathered kindling while Lucien retrieved salt and accelerant from the Impala's trunk.
As flames consumed the bloodied fabric, Sam studied his brother's face in the flickering light. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, evidence of a sleepless night.
"You want to tell me what's going on?" Sam asked quietly.
Lucien flexed his left hand - the same hand that was missing yesterday, still surreal to him that it was back, when he remembered so vividly how it was bitten off and eaten in front of his very eyes. "Later. When everyone's awake." His eyes remained fixed on the burning sheets. "We should head back."
As they turned to leave, Sam caught Lucien's arm. "Hey. Whatever this is, we'll figure it out. Together."
Lucien offered a tired smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Yeah."
----------------------
Back in the motel, Lucien paused outside Katherine's door. He glanced at Sam. "I need to check on her. The werewolf venom..."
Sam nodded, understanding. "I'll cover for you if Dad or Dean wakes up."
Once Sam disappeared into their room, Lucien produced a key card from his pocket - one Katherine had given him earlier. He entered quietly, finding the room uncomfortably hot despite the air conditioning.
Katherine lay on the bed, her normally perfect appearance disheveled. Dark veins spread from the bite on her neck, creeping upward like poisonous roots. Her eyes fluttered open at his approach.
"My little god comes to visit," she murmured, her voice weaker than he'd ever heard it.
Lucien moved to the mini-fridge and retrieved a glass vial of dark red liquid. "I collected this yesterday," he explained, uncapping it. "I want to see if stored blood works as well as fresh."
Katherine's eyebrow arched slightly. "Experimenting on me? How... scientific."
"Just drink it."
She complied, downing the contents in one swallow. For a moment, color returned to her cheeks, the black veins receding slightly before advancing again. Katherine grimaced.
"Not enough," Lucien observed, reaching for his pocket knife.
Katherine moved with surprising speed for someone so ill, grabbing his wrist before he could open the blade. "No."
"Don't be ridiculous," Lucien snapped. "You need blood - my blood - or you'll die."
"I'm aware of the prognosis," she replied, still gripping his wrist with surprising strength.
"Then why won't you take it? What about our contract? The monthly feeding?"
Katherine's lips curved into a weak smile. "That was before... all this. Besides, just as there's no clause preventing you from offering, there's no clause against me simply declining."
"What is wrong with you?" Lucien demanded, frustration boiling over. "Do you not realize that without drinking my blood daily, you're going to die?"
Katherine chuckled, the sound alarmingly light, causing Lucien's eyebrows to furrow.
"Are you... drunk?"
"Maybe... Werewolf venom does cause hallucinations. Delirium." Katherine answered.
"Katherine, focus. You need to drink."
She looked up at him, eyes glassy but somehow more vulnerable than he'd ever seen them. "I don't want you to be hurt," she said, her voice small and pouty. "I don't like it when you're hurt."
This shocked Lucien, 'What the hell is wrong with her? Is this really the same woman who has taken every advantageous opportunity that came in front of her and milked it dry for the best chance at survival?'
Lucien pinched the bridge of his nose. "You will fucking die if you don't take my blood. You're a survivor, isn't that who you're supposed to be? So survive now, for God's sake, and drink my fucking blood!"
Katherine's grip remained firm on his wrist, her head turning away each time he tried to bring his hand to her mouth, to incur her instinct to bite. "I'm not sure," she whispered. "I'm not sure why, but, despite... this, I feel... great."
A dreamy smile spread across her face. "I feel so happy. I think I feel... love."
The word hung in the air between them.
"I love you," she continued, wonder in her voice. "For the first time in centuries, I feel love again, and it just feels so... good. I don't care how I am, just that you're safe and happy."
Lucien's expression softened. For a long moment he stood silently looking into her eyes, not knowing what to say, before he leaned down and pressed his lips gently against her cheek, shocking her into stillness.
"Then at least," he pleaded softly, "if you don't want to hurt me while drinking, use whatever that enzyme thing was, so that it doesn't hurt... I'll drink your blood too, so the injury closes quickly. Because you hurting right is... hurting me."
Katherine's eyes filled with tears she'd never normally allow. "Okay," she whispered, finally relenting. "Okay."
She took his wrist, her fangs extending. Her bite was gentle, almost tender. Lucien felt the initial sting give way to a warm, pleasant sensation as her enzymes dulled the pain and pleasure came. After several long moments, she withdrew, blood staining her lips.
She then with her finger nail, made a small cut against her neck, leaning it to the side, offering.
Lucien didn't hesitate. He leaned forward and pressed his mouth to the small cut on her neck, taking just enough of her blood to heal his wrist.
"Rest," he told her, helping her lie back against the pillows. "I'll check on you later."
-----------------------
When Lucien returned to the main room, he found Elena kneeling beside Jeremy, who sat against the wall in a catatonic state. Her face was streaked with dried tears, hands shaking as she touched her brother's shoulder.
"Jeremy, please," she was saying, voice cracking. "Talk to me. Are you okay?"
Jeremy remained motionless, eyes fixed on some distant point. Lucien approached cautiously, kneeling beside Elena.
"Has he said anything?" he asked quietly.
Elena shook her head. "Nothing. He's been like this since-"
"He killed her," Jeremy whispered suddenly, the words barely audible.
Elena froze. "What? Who killed who?"
"He killed her. He killed her. He killed her." Jeremy's voice grew louder with each repetition, his body beginning to tremble.
"Jeremy, please-"
"DAD!" The word exploded from him, his entire body convulsing. "Dad killed Mom! She was asking where you were and he just - he just-" His voice cracked, tears streaming down his face, fist clenching as he began rocking, curling even more into himself.
"He stabbed her. Right through her heart. And he smiled, Elena. He smiled while he did it."
Elena went perfectly still, her face draining of color. Her breathing grew shallow, coming in quick, panicked gasps.
"Elena?" Lucien touched her arm gently.
For a long moment she was simply... still. In shock. Almost catatonic.
Then, finally, she turned to him, eyes wide with shock. Without warning, she collapsed against his chest, fingers clutching desperately at his shirt. Her body trembled violently, but no tears came, only shallow breaths, like she had trouble doing so.
Turning to the one person and place she currently at all felt safe around.
Lucien seeing this, awkwardly wrapped his arms around her, "Breathe Elena, breathe. I've got you. Take a deep breathe, and exhale slowly..." he told her softly and gently. He wasn't used to offering comfort, but instinct guided him to hold her tightly, one hand moving to stroke her hair.
"I've got you," he whispered again, the words still feeling inadequate even as he spoke them. "I've got you."
As he held Elena, Lucien felt the jaguar mark on his palm begin to bleed once. He shifted his position to hide the blood from her, catching Sam's concerned gaze across the room.
John approached, his face grim. "We need to talk. All of us."
-----------------------
An hour later, they gathered in the motel room.
Katherine had joined them, looking marginally better after feeding but still visibly ill.
Elena sat beside Jeremy on one bed, both siblings shell-shocked and silent.
Dean leaned against the wall while Sam sat at the small table with his laptop open.
Trevor stood by the window, keeping watch.
"Alright," John said, his voice heavy with exhaustion. "We need to understand what we're dealing with. What happened after you two disappeared from Founder's Hall?"
Lucien glanced at Elena, who gave a small nod, granting him permission to speak for both of them.
"We were transported to some kind of... mirror dimension," Lucien began, his voice steady despite the horror in his eyes. "The sky was this sickly yellow color, with a bloated red sun. And there was blood - an ocean of it, up to our knees."
"Jesus," Dean muttered.
"Above us was this... hand. A gigantic obsidian hand reaching toward the sky." Lucien's fingers traced the shape in the air.
"And on each finger stood one of the gods. Lockwood, Forbes, Fell, Gilbert - Elena's grandfather, not her father - and some Salvatore woman. In the center of the palm was Grayson, fighting against his transformation. He was the only one who seemed to be resisting."
Elena's breath hitched at the mention of her father, but she remained silent, her eyes fixed on Lucien.
"I tried to get Elena away, but they were too powerful. My Qareen-" he paused, glancing at the confused faces. "My shadow self, it manifested physically for the first time. Like Vader, from Star Wars. It fought alongside me, but even together we couldn't..."
His voice trailed off as he looked at Elena, pain etched across his features.
"Couldn't what?" John pressed.
"Couldn't save her," Lucien whispered. "I failed. Elena died in that place."
The room fell silent. All eyes turned to Elena, very much alive and breathing.
"Wait," Sam said slowly. "If Elena died, then how...?"
"I don't know," Lucien admitted. "One moment she was gone, the next there was this blinding light, and she was breathing again. My hand was restored too-"
"Your hand was RESTORED? What do you mean?" Dean suddenly interrupted.
Lucien was silent for a moment, the memory flashing before his eyes, fresh, making him flex his left hand, "Tezcatlipoca - the "god" Richard Lockwood was bonded too had bitten... off."
"But that doesn't matter right now, that isn't the focus." He said before Dean or anyone could react.
"Could it be some healing thing you just did in the moment?" Dean asked, forcing himself to focus on the matter at hand, like Lucien wanted, rather than react and ask him all the details and if he was okay.
Controlling himself from wanting to storm outside, and drive back to Mystic Falls, and rip that mother fuckers head off, no matter how stupid and suicidal such an action may be.
Lucien shook his head firmly. "No. It wasn't me."
"Then what was it?" John demanded.
"I don't know," Lucien repeated. "But that's not our only problem."
He extended his palm, showing the jaguar mark that had begun to bleed again. "The jaguar mark it has... evolved is the best way to put it, I think. This is why the sheets were soaked." Lucien said as his gaze turned towards Sam. "It bleeds constantly."
"What is it for?" Sam asked, leaning closer, since the sacrifice should be done to their knowledge. Grayson and Richard made a testament of that when they reappeared.
"It's Tezcatlipoca's parting gift," Lucien said bitterly. "His exact words were: 'You bear our mark, boy, branded as sacrifice, cursed until death. Monsters will never let you know peace.'"
The room fell silent as the implications sank in.
"So you're saying," John clarified, "that this mark will draw monsters to you?"
"Like a beacon," Lucien confirmed. "I'm cursed to be hunted until I die - or until I kill all five gods who marked me."
"Is that even possible?" Sam asked, looking to Trevor.
The hunter's expression was grim. "These aren't just powerful creatures - they're actual gods. Killing one would be nearly impossible, let alone all five."
"The curse is already working," Katherine added, drawing everyone's attention. "I can feel it... pulling at me. Creating hunger specifically for him."
She nodded toward Lucien. "I'm able to resist because I-" she hesitated, "because I choose to. But weaker creatures, or those with particular hatred for humans, would be more susceptible."
"Great," Dean muttered. "So Lucien's basically monster bait now."
"And speaking of monsters," John turned to Katherine, "where exactly were you while we were fighting for our lives at Founder's Hall?"
Katherine's eyes narrowed. "Saving your son's life, actually."
"By conveniently disappearing when the trouble started?" Dean challenged.
"I was fighting a Valkyrie," Katherine snapped, straightening despite her weakness. "Skögul. She serves Hela, the Norse goddess of death."
"A Valkyrie?" Trevor's attention sharpened. "Here?"
Katherine nodded. "She was sent to capture Lucien. Apparently, Hela has allied herself with Dracula."
"Great. Just fucking great. For a moment, I forgot about that fucker." Dean muttered flatly.
"You killed a Valkyrie?" Trevor asked, clearly skeptical.
"I did," Katherine replied, not elaborating on how. "Before she died, she revealed that Dracula will act even more aggressively now. In her words 'he'll burn the continent to ash' to get to him"
John paced the small room, processing this information. "So we have five gods who want Lucien dead, Dracula who we already had after us, who is going to act most likely himself now going after him, and every monster in the area being drawn to his curse mark."
"Plus Katherine's dying from werewolf venom," Sam added grimly.
"And we can't go back to Mystic Falls," Dean continued. "Not with the gods controlling the town now."
"What happened after we disappeared?" Elena asked suddenly, her voice small but determined. "How did you escape?"
John exchanged a look with Dean before answering. "After you two vanished, something... changed in the crowd. People started acting strange - engaging in behavior they normally wouldn't, regardless of who was watching. It was like mass hysteria."
"Or a ritual effect," Trevor suggested. "The gods drawing power from human excess."
"Those who weren't affected - us, mainly, for some reason, probably since we are mentally strong - were targeted by guards," Dean continued. "Weird shadow things that reformed their heads when we cut them off."
"Umbra," Katherine supplied. "Shadow servants created by ancient deities."
"Trevor's whip was the only thing that worked against them," Sam added. "It ignited with some kind of fire when it hit them."
"The Morningstar," Trevor explained, touching the whip at his side. "It's been in my family for generations, specifically for fighting creatures of the night."
"We were fighting our way out when Grayson and Richard reappeared," John continued, his voice gentler as he glanced at Elena. "They were... changed - well Grayson was. Richard I believe was always like that. Both entirely human."
Elena swallowed hard. "And my mom?"
John's expression said everything. "She confronted Grayson, demanded to know where you were. He told her he'd sacrificed you, and then he..." John trailed off.
"He killed her," Jeremy whispered, speaking for the first time since his breakdown. "Right in front of me."
Elena reached for her brother's hand, squeezing it tightly.
"We grabbed Jeremy and ran," Dean finished. "Lockwood let us go, said it would be 'more amusing' than killing us outright."
"But Zach couldn't leave," Sam added. "Lockwood said he was 'part of the family' and had to stay."
A heavy silence fell over the room. Lucien stared at his bleeding palm, watching as drops fell to the carpet in a steady rhythm. The weight of everything they'd learned settled heavily on his shoulders.
"So what now?" Dean finally asked, breaking the silence.
John ran a hand over his face, exhaustion evident in every line of his body. "We need to regroup. Find somewhere safe to lay low while we figure this out."
"There's the werewolf cure to find," Sam pointed out, glancing at Katherine who was leaning against the wall.
"And Elena and Jeremy need protection," Trevor added. "Somewhere the gods can't reach them."
"Plus we need to research this curse," Sam continued, nodding toward Lucien's bleeding palm.
Lucien had been silent, watching the exchange. When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet but firm.
"We need to split up."
All eyes turned to him.
"What?" John asked.
"You heard me." Lucien stood, his small frame somehow commanding the room's attention. "You all aren't safe with me around. The longer we stay together, the more danger you're in."
"Lucien-" Sam began.
"No," Lucien cut him off. "You saw what happened to the sheets. This mark won't stop bleeding. It's calling every monster within miles to us right now."
He looked around the room, meeting each person's eyes. "I'm a beacon for death, and I won't be responsible for any of you getting killed because of me."
The silence that followed was deafening.
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(Author note: Hello everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter.
So... Lucien wants to split up. Tell me is the idea wise? Do you think the others will agree or nah?
Also, how did you find the moment between Katherine and Lucien? Werewolf venom in TVD has quite the... effects on the person. Making them relive their life's greatest hits, and gain more... perspective I suppose is the word for it.
Well, I hope to see you all later,
Bye!)