NOVEL WEB Chapter 16: "That wasn't your call to make!"
(Author note: Before anything my dear readers- before anyone calls it drama, or the like, do understand that this is a logical reaction.
Those who've seen the Alpha Vampire and the Leviathan meeting would understand the basis of this.
Also- keep in mind as has been established, Lucien's body can affect his mentality, and make him childish. Influencing his emotions in a childlike manner.
Now do enjoy!)
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Lucien's pencil moved upon the page, transcribing passages from an ancient leather-bound tome propped against his water glass.
"European vampires possess several distinct advantages over their American counterparts," he muttered, underlining key phrases. "Enhanced compulsion abilities, accelerated healing, and-"
"Whatcha reading that's got you ignoring breakfast?" Dean's voice broke his concentration.
Lucien looked up to find his oldest brother leaning against the doorframe, coffee mug in hand, eyebrow raised in curiosity.
"Just research," Lucien replied, casually closing the notebook.
Dean sauntered over, peering at the book's title. "Bloodlines of the Old World? Little light reading before lunch?"
"Bobby said I could borrow it."
Dean smirked. "Bet Sarah from the fair would be impressed with your vampire knowledge. She seemed into the whole bookworm thing."
The name sent a uncomfortable feeling through Lucien. He'd been debating for two days whether to reveal what the Force had told him about "Sarah."
So far, he'd decided against it - the vampire was gone, his family was safe, and revealing the truth would only cause unnecessary panic.
Though he was researching how Katherine could've possibly influenced Dean- both of them had ingested vervain, a stample in this home.
Was it an ability of old enough vampires to ignore it, or too little vervain having too little of an affect or something else?
It's been why he's rereading so much about them.
"Maybe," Lucien replied noncommittally.
Dean ruffled his hair. "Cute kid with a brain. You'll be dangerous when you're older."
Lucien forced a smile.
"Don't forget training with Bobby at eleven," Dean called over his shoulder as he left. "He's teaching you knife techniques today."
Alone again, Lucien reopened his notebook, adding another note, reiterating it for himself: Daywalkers can pass as human far more effectively than any other supernatural creature. Even hunters can be fooled.
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The training session with Bobby went as expected - the older hunter was gruff but patient, correcting Lucien's grip on the silver knife and demonstrating proper defensive stances.
"Not bad," Bobby grunted after an hour. "You're picking this up quicker than most."
"Thanks," Lucien said, carefully wiping down the blade as Bobby had taught him.
"Your daddy wants you practicing daily. Says with your... special circumstances, you need all the skills you can get."
Lucien nodded, knowing "special circumstances" meant his connection to the Force. Eight months since creating it, and he still struggled to fully control it.
Telekinesis remained frustratingly inconsistent - sometimes he could lift books with ease, other times he couldn't budge a pencil.
'Volatile indeed,' Lucien thought to himself, with a bit of frustration and amusement.
After lunch, while Adam napped and the adults discussed hunting strategies in the kitchen, Lucien retreated to his room. He sat cross-legged on the floor, closed his eyes, and reached out with the Force.
He'd been practicing this technique for weeks - extending his senses beyond the confines of Bobby's property, searching for threats.
Today, like yesterday, he had a specific target in mind: Katherine Pierce- having felt her Force- rather, her lack thereof, as an undead being - enough to recognize what she felt like.
Concentrating, he pushed his Force sensitivity far outward like ripples in a pond. Bobby's house... the salvage yard... the road leading into town...
Pain lanced through his head as he pushed further than his body could handle.
Limitless potential or not- the Force was quite raw to try and feel through.
Something warm trickled from his nose - blood. Still, he persisted, searching for any trace of vampire presence.
Nothing. As he'd suspected, Katherine had moved on. Probably to another town, another target. The encounter had been random chance - unfortunate Winchester luck, nothing more.
Lucien wiped the blood away with his sleeve. No need to worry his family over a threat that was already gone.
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Dean found him in Bobby's library that afternoon, surrounded by books on European vampire lore.
"Seriously, what's with the vampire obsession these past two days?" Dean asked, dropping into the chair across from him. "You've been buried in these books since the fair."
Lucien hesitated. The question created an opening, a chance to reveal what he knew.
But again- was it necessary? Katherine was gone. The danger had passed.
Yet the Force whispered otherwise. Not about Katherine specifically, but about keeping this secret. Secrets always festered, always caused harm eventually.
"Dean," he said finally, keeping his voice low, a bit of hesitation in his voice, "there's something I need to tell you about the fair."
Dean's expression shifted - hearing the hesitation in Lucien's voice - hunter's instincts instantly alert. "What about it?"
"Sarah... she wasn't what she seemed."
"What do you mean?"
Lucien met his brother's eyes. "She was a vampire. European strain. The Force warned me."
Dean stared for three heartbeats, then exploded into motion, grabbing Lucien's shoulders.
"WHAT?" The word echoed through the library. "Are you sure? Why didn't you say anything? Did she hurt you? Did she-"
"Dean!" Lucien tried to quiet him, but it was too late.
John appeared in the doorway, followed closely by Sam. "What's going on?"
Dean's face had paled, his grip on Lucien's shoulders tightening. "The woman at the fair - Sarah - Lu says she was a vampire."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees. John's expression hardened to granite.
"Sam," he ordered, "take Adam upstairs."
"But Dad-"
"Now, Sam."
As Sam reluctantly left to find their youngest brother, John turned to Lucien. "Tell me everything. Every detail."
Lucien swallowed. "The Force warned me when she approached us. I tried to tell Dean, but..." He glanced apologetically at his brother. "He didn't listen."
"She did something to me," Dean said, horror dawning in his eyes. "I remember thinking she was hot, but now that I think about it- it was more than that. I couldn't... I didn't want to leave her."
John's jaw clenched. "What happened on the Ferris wheel, Lucien? When you were alone with her?"
"Nothing really. She asked about my reading, said I seemed special."
Dean knelt before him, eyes intense. "What else? What happened when we got off?"
Lucien frowned, confused by their intensity. "She kissed my cheek, said she was looking forward to meeting me when I'm older. That I had 'potential.' It was weird, I think she thinks I'm psychic, but-"
"Son of a BITCH!" Dean shot to his feet, turning away, hands clenched into fists.
John's face had gone deadly still. "And you're just telling us this now? Two days later?"
"I checked with the Force! She left town right after!" Lucien defended. "I didn't want everyone worrying over nothing."
"Nothing?" John's voice rose sharply. "A vampire targeting my son is NOTHING?"
Kate appeared in the doorway, drawn by the commotion. "John? What's happening?"
Bobby materialized behind her. "Everyone take a breath. Let's discuss this like rational folks. Sam," he called out, as the 2nd oldest Winchester brother came down the stairs, "Why don't you take Lucien upstairs too, till John and Dean calm down and we understand what's going on."
"Yes sir," Sam agreed without any contradicting, as he approached Lucien, putting his hand on his little brother's shoulder. "Come on, Luci. Let's go." he said as he began leading him upstairs.
Lucien though reluctant, followed silently, while enhancing his hearing with the Force- something he's recently this last month has figured out how to do.
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"European vampires- the vampire Lucien met, since it was a daywalker," Bobby was explaining to Kate, "they're different from the ones we usually hunt. Older. Smarter. More powerful."
"And this woman - this vampire - approached my son?" Kate's voice trembled between fear and rage.
"Worse," John said grimly. "She marked him."
"Marked him? What does that mean?"
A heavy silence fell before Bobby answered. "Some vampires... they identify special humans, or races. Ones with talents, abilities. Like for example, a kid werewolf, or kitsune, or the like. They... cultivate them."
"Cultivate?" Kate's voice rose. "Like plants?"
"Like assets," John corrected darkly. "They groom them. Build relationships. Create dependency. Then when they're older..."
"They either turn them if they can or use them," Dean finished, his voice hollow.
"Use them for what?" Kate demanded.
Another uncomfortable silence.
"Blood," Bobby finally said. "Companionship. Power. Depends on the vampire and their tastes."
"She kissed his cheek," Dean's voice cracked. "Told him she'd look forward to seeing him when he's older. I thought nothing of it- just some hot chick, giving some kind compliment. But..." he clenched his fist, till his knuckles were white.
"I let her get that close to him. I practically handed him to her."
"You couldn't have known," Bobby said.
"I'm a hunter!" Dean shouted. "I should have seen the signs!"
"She must have used some kind of compulsion," John reasoned.
"But we've been taking vervain," Dean protested. "Both of us."
"There are objects," Bobby said thoughtfully. "Rare ones. Enchanted items that can bypass standard protections. If she's old enough..."
Lucien himself cringed a bit at their self-deprication and concern- though logically knowing it to be reasonable, finding it still to an extent embarrassing.
He, as he heard footsteps on the stairs quickly withdrew his Force-enhanced hearing, not having enough control to not clench his ears shut if someone talked to him so close.
Sam appeared in the doorway, his expression troubled.
"They're really going at it down there," he said, sitting beside Lucien on the bed. "You okay?"
"I'm fine," Lucien insisted. "It wasn't a big deal. I knew what she was."
Sam studied him. "European vampires are dangerous, Luci. More than the ones Dad usually hunts."
"I could have handled her," Lucien muttered.
Sam's eyebrow rose skeptically. "How? You're still learning basic knife skills. And the Force is still something you can't consciously use."
Lucien bit back a retort. Even Sam didn't know the full extent of what he'd been practicing.
Since as they say- the best weapons are the unknown ones.
Lucien has no intention of letting anyone know his full capabilities ever. Since if they do, then they can make contingencies against him.
He himself, if it came down to it, was going to try and catch Katherine off guard, snapping her neck with the Force, and then pull out a piece of wood from a nearby tree and stab her in the heart.
If he tapped into the Dark Side for a moment, the volatility won't matter, it will be strong enough, he's sure of that.
But, again, he couldn't really say that.
Adam poked his head around the door. "Why is everyone yelling? Are we in trouble?"
"No, buddy," Sam assured him. "Grown-up stuff."
"Is it about the fair? Did something bad happen?"
Before Sam could answer, thundering footsteps on the stairs announced John's arrival. His face was a storm cloud as he appeared in the doorway.
"Sam, take Adam to his room. I need to talk to Lucien. Alone."
Sam hesitated only briefly before guiding Adam away. John entered, closing the door behind him.
"Why didn't you tell us immediately?" he demanded without preamble.
"I checked - she was gone," Lucien explained. "I didn't want everyone to worry over nothing."
"Nothing?" John's voice rose again. "A possibly centuries old predator identified you as a target, and you call that NOTHING?"
"European vampires that old are rare," John continued, "Bobby and I have heard the stories. They're apex predators who've survived centuries by being smarter, stronger, and more patient than anything else."
"I'm sorry," Lucien said, genuinely contrite. "I didn't realize-"
"That's the problem!" John crouched down, gripping Lucien's shoulders. "You think because you have these powers, because you're smart for your age, that you understand everything. You DON'T."
Lucien felt his face flush, childish emotions rising. "I was trying to protect everyone! I didn't want Dean to get in trouble or Mom to be scared!"
"That's not your job!" John's voice softened slightly, though remained intense. "Your job is to be a kid and tell us when something's wrong. Our job is to protect you."
Footsteps in the hall announced Dean's arrival. He stood in the doorway, unable to meet Lucien's eyes.
"I'm sorry, Lu," he said quietly. "I should have listened when you tried to warn me."
"It wasn't your fault," Lucien insisted, jumping up. "She did something to you! The Force told me - she had some kind of power over you. That's why I didn't blame you!"
Dean finally looked at him, eyes hollow with self-recrimination. "I'm supposed to protect you."
"And I'm supposed to protect both of you," John added grimly. "Which means new rules, starting now."
He stood, decision made. "Neither of you boys leaves this house until we figure out exactly what we're dealing with. Not even the salvage yard."
"But Dad-" Lucien began.
"No arguments. We need to strengthen the wards, try and find better protections."
As John left to continue planning with Bobby, Dean lingered in the doorway.
"Did she say anything else to you?" he asked quietly. "Anything that seemed... off?"
Lucien shook his head, getting a bit frustrated at having to repeat himself. "Just that I was special. That she could feel it. I already told you."
Dean's expression darkened further. "She sensed something in you. The Force, probably."
"But she's gone now," Lucien insisted. "I checked."
"For now," Dean corrected grimly. "Vampires like that... they don't forget. They don't give up. They just wait."
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(Author note: Hello everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!
Do tell me how you found it.
The whole vampire grooming thing, I think is quite the possibility, with Vampires sometimes promising to protect bloodlines in return for favours, like magic.
The Alpha Vampire in Supernatural also had 15 year old teenagers, locked up, as some fresh, younger blood bags. Having apparently a taste for it.
And long living beings, taking in special children, be it psychics, or other races, to raise them to be loyal to them, when they can't use compulsion on them, seems very likely and logical to me, with how much above they see themselves to others.
Others being food, or slaves and all thanks to their compulsion constantly.
Well, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter,
See you all hopefully later,
Bye!)