Lucas Ross

Lucas Ross is the secondary protagonist of the Evernight series. He is a vampire hunter and member of Black Cross, and the love interest of Bianca Olivier. Lucas' mother Kate, his late father and his stepfather are all members of Black Cross - it would seem that his great, great grandfather was as well.

In Evernight, Lucas poses as a student to infiltrate Evernight Academy, which is where he first meets and falls in love with Bianca. Lucas eventually leaves Black Cross in Hourglass, after they learn that he is in a relationship with a vampire (Bianca). At the end of Hourglass, Lucas is turned into a vampire, but at the end of Afterlife, Bianca is able to make him human again. He is nearly twenty years old at the start of the series.

Early Life
Lucas was born some time in 1988 or 1989. His father and his mother, Kate, were both members of Black Cross, an ancient group of vampire hunters. It would seem that many of Lucas' relatives and ancestors were members of Black Cross; including his great, great grandfather, who was the only Black Cross member who successfully infiltrated Evernight Academy. Lucas was raised in Black Cross. He was indoctrinated into their beliefs that all vampires were ruthless killers and given combat and weapons training. Lucas says that he was sent out on missions "as soon as I was old enough to hold a stake".

When Lucas was very young, his father was killed by vampires, which gave Lucas a personal vendetta against vampires. Lucas' mother later remarried another hunter named Eduardo, whom Lucas disliked and never got along with. Lucas' only real friend in Black Cross was a girl named Dana, who was around the same age and whom he grew up alongside. As he grew older, Lucas became frustrated with the life he lead in Black Cross, longing to have a normal life where he could finish school, get a job and meet a nice girl. When Black Cross learnt that Evernight was letting human students into the school for the first time, they decided to have Lucas infiltrate the school, posing as an ordinary human student, and find out what the vampires were up to.

Evernight
Upon first arriving at the Academy, Lucas is patrolling the school grounds in the early hours, when he spots a teenage girl running through the woods. Believing she is being chased, Lucas runs after her and tackles her to the ground - only to learn that the girl was only running because she thought Lucas was after her. Lucas learns that the girl's name is Bianca Olivier. He finds himself drawn to her, but holds himself back, knowing he is only supposed to focus on the mission. Lucas assumes that Bianca is just an ordinary human girl; he is surprised upon learning her parents are teachers, and assumes that Celia and Adrian kidnapped Bianca as a baby. Lucas continues to keep an eye on the vampires; he breaks into Mrs Bethany's office at one point and also stands up for the human students when they are bullied by the vampires, getting into fights on a number of occasions and breaking numerous school rules. In spite of himself, Lucas cannot stay away from Bianca and eventually begins a relationship with her. Bianca bites Lucas at the Autumn Ball whilst they are making out, but he is knocked unconscious and doesn't remember what happened - he accepts Bianca's story that he was knocked out after a wooden beam fell on top of him, but seems suspicious.

Lucas realizes the truth when he sees Bianca biting Erich and discovers she is a vampire. Lucas is initially horrified and disgusted, as he had thought Bianca was just an ordinary, innocent girl and had been told all his life that vampires were dangerous monsters. However, Lucas also felt conflicted, as he was beginning to fall in love with Bianca and he had no sense that she was dangerous or evil, leading him to question everything he'd ever believed. When term started again, Lucas decided to talk to Bianca and learned she was a 'born vampire'. Lucas' heart ultimately won out over his head - he decided he didn't care what Bianca was and admitted his feelings for her, also allowing her to drink his blood willingly. As a result, Lucas began to gain vampire abilities. When Lucas learns that Erich has stolen Raquel Vargas' bracelet, he realizes that Erich is getting ready to kill her. He confronts Erich and ends up killing him to protect Raquel. Unfortunately, Bianca inadvertently blows his cover as a member of Black Cross, resulting in Adrian and Balthazar More attacking him. Lucas, using his new vampire abilities and fighting skills, is able to fend them off and flees.

Lucas hides in the antique store in Riverton, where he is eventually found by Bianca. Lucas explains his life story to Bianca, who surprises him with her acceptance of him and her confession that she still loves him, in spite of who he is. She agrees to run away with him and the pair spend the night in a hotel room together - though nothing sexual occurs. They are woken the next morning by Lucas' mother - who he had previously called to explain the situation - and he leaves with her for the Black Cross headquarters. They are soon attacked by the Evernight vampires and Bianca leaves with them, giving Lucas and the other cell members the opportunity to escape unharmed. Lucas later buys back Bianca's jet brooch and smuggles it to her, along with a letter, with the help of his former roommate Vic Woodson. In his letter, Lucas tells Bianca that he will always love her and is determined to find a way of seeing her again.

Stargazer
After many months, Lucas is able to smuggle a letter to Bianca, stating that his cell will be in nearby Amherst on a hunt and asking if she is able to meet him. Lucas is happy to be reunited with Bianca after so long, though their reunion is somewhat marred by Bianca's encounter with Charity More, the vampire Lucas is hunting, whom Black Cross believe to be involved with a dangerous tribe. The next time Lucas and Bianca meet, she brings Balthazar with her, to Lucas' chagrin. Bianca explains that Charity is Balthazar's younger sister and he requests Lucas' help in finding her so he can persuade her to return to Evernight. Lucas grudgingly agrees to help at Bianca's request. He is very unhappy that Bianca and Balthazar are going to be pretending to be a couple, despite Bianca's assertion that she truly loves him, but goes along with it. This, however, causes tension between them, as does Balthazar and Bianca's inability to accept that Charity may not be as innocent as she appears. Another issue arises when Bianca suggests to Lucas that they both become vampires and Lucas makes it plain that, whilst he loves Bianca no matter what she is, he cannot stand the thought of becoming a vampire himself and asserts that it is the one thing he will never do for her.

Things reach boiling point when Lucas, Bianca and Balthazar track down Charity, only to be spotted by Courtney, who threatens to tell Mrs Bethany Bianca is supposedly in league with  Black Cross. Charity stakes Courtney and forces Lucas to hand over his knife, which he does so reluctantly. After an argument, Charity makes it plain she has no interest in returning to Evernight and that she enjoys killing humans. She then beheads Courtney and flees. A disheartened Lucas says they will have to burn Courtney's body, however, this pushes an already distraught Bianca over the edge, with her accusing Lucas of being insensitive and not viewing vampires as people. Lucas snaps and in turn accuses Bianca of being naive and seeing the world through rose-tinted glasses. Lucas ends up storming off, he and Bianca ending their relationship.

However, in spite of their argument, Lucas regrets the things he said to Bianca and still loves her deeply. He becomes despondent over their break-up and even stops taking care of himself, not washing his hair or eating properly, not shaving and sleeping poorly. When he learns a blue moon will appear soon, Lucas is desperate to see Bianca, guessing she would be outside for the phenomena due to her love of astrology. He risks his life to sneak onto the grounds of Evernight on the night of the blue moon to see her. Lucas and Bianca are reconciled and Bianca reveals to the truth behind her birth - her parents conceived her with the wraiths' help and they now seek to make her one of her own. Lucas does not hesitate to offer to take Bianca away from Evernight and protect her from the wraiths, stating that there must be members of Black Cross with knowledge on wraiths. He and Bianca make plans to run away together once term finishes, as it will be easy for Bianca to slip out with the crowds.

More to be added

Hourglass
Lucas attempts to save up money, hiding it in an old coffee can, so that he and Bianca will able to make it by themselves. Unfortunately, Eduardo finds the money and confiscates it. When the Evernight vampires attack the cell, they flee to New York, staying with Eliza's cell. Lucas tries to get blood for Bianca, letting her feed on him, taking her up to the roof of their HQ to catch pigeons and buying blood from the butchers when he can. He warns Bianca not to email her parents as Evernight may be able to track it, though Bianca ignores him and sends them an email from an internet cafe, assuming it would be fine. Lucas survives Mrs Bethany's assault on the cell and grieves for his mother when Eduardo is killed. When he learns Balthazar has been captured, Lucas comes up with a plan to rescue him. He pretends to go along with Balthazar's torture, stating that because Balthazar tried to 'put the moves' on Bianca last year, he feels a personal vendetta against him. Balthazar plays along, claiming that Mrs Bethany is after Lucas because she resents him for infiltrating Evernight and making her look weak (when in actual fact she is after Bianca). Lucas stakes Balthazar and insists on disposing of him personally. The hunters agree and let Lucas and Bianca take Balthazar away from the cell to 'kill' him; however, Lucas instead un-stakes Balthazar and takes him to some friends in Chinatown.

Not long after, Dana and Raquel catch Bianca drinking blood Lucas had bought for her. Lucas immediately comes to her defence, begging Dana and Raquel to be open-minded and hear him out. Lucas seems to be able to sway them into keeping quiet, but that night, Lucas and Bianca are woken and brought to Eliza for interrogation. Lucas tries to defend Bianca, stating she isn't dangerous, however, when the hunters attempt to spray Bianca with holy water to test her weaknesses, Lucas jumps in the way and the water burns him, due to him having been bitten by Bianca repeatedly. This causes the hunters to distrust Lucas completely, with Eliza coldly remarking "Lucas feeds it." Eliza orders that Lucas and Bianca be taken away to be imprisoned and studied; however, as they're being transported in a van, Dana, who is still on Lucas' side, manages to slip him a knife. Lucas frees himself from his bonds and holds the knife to Dana's throat after she separates them from the rest of the vehicles, pretending to take her hostage. After forcing another hunter, Milos, out of the van, Dana drives Lucas and Bianca to Grand Central Station. Lucas reluctantly punches Dana in the face at her urging, to make their ruse look better, before he and Bianca head into Chinatown to seek Balthazar's help. Balthazar readily agrees to help them and gives them a large amount of money to tide them over; Lucas refuses to take it at first, feeling it's too much, but Balthazar insists, out of gratitude to Lucas for helping to save him. Lucas and Bianca rent a hotel room. They stop off at a store to buy clothes and toiletries and, at Bianca's suggestion, Lucas adds a box of condoms to their purchases. Later, at their hotel, Lucas and Bianca finally consummate their relationship.

The next day, Lucas contacts his old friend Vic and arranges to meet him in Philadelphia, knowing he will help them. They meet Vic and Ranulf White at a diner. Ranulf reacts with fear and distrust upon learning Lucas is Black Cross, though Lucas assures him that he is ex-Black Cross and means him no harm. It is here that Lucas learns about the email Bianca sent in New York and the fact that it lead Mrs Bethany to the cell. This leads to an argument between the couple, with Lucas berating Bianca for not listening to him when he explicitly told her not to use the internet to contact her parents. Upon seeing how upset and remorseful Bianca is over her actions, Lucas forgives her, though she acknowledges how careless she was. Vic allows Lucas and Bianca to live in his family's wine cellar. Lucas begins job hunting, which proves difficult as he has no qualifications. He ends up working as a mechanic at a chop shop, which he despises because it goes against his morals, but he feels he has no choice as he and Bianca need the money.

Afterlife
TBA

Balthazar
Lucas does not physically appear in the fifth book, but he does play an unseen role and is mentioned several times. Skye keeps in contact with Lucas after the destruction of Evernight and, after telling him about her psychic visions, he sends Balthazar to help her, which is just as well, given that Skye is soon targeted by the malevolent vampire, John Redgrave. Lucas cannot come personally to help Skye, due to Black Cross giving him some trouble, but he sends Bianca to them to offer them assistance. Lucas is also able to hack into the teaching database to create fake credentials for Balthazar when he poses as a history teacher to keep a closer eye on Skye. Lucas is said to be staying with friends in Maine, along with Bianca, who also states he is "enjoying being human again."

Personality
Lucas is, overall, a pretty decent guy. He always tries to do what's right and values honesty, bravery and justice. He has a strong sense of morality and is very brave and noble. Bianca compares him to a medieval knight, though she states that he would probably hate all the pomp and formality that comes with it. Lucas is mostly selfless and quite loyal. He can also be very stubborn and has a very short temper, which sometimes leads him to lash out at people, often physically. He is also somewhat prejudiced, especially towards vampires, but starts to overcome this after meeting Bianca. Lucas is quick-witted and resourceful, and is good in dangerous or stressful situations. Lucas can be a bit rebellious and is frequently described as being "a troublemaker".

Lucas longs to have a normal life, though part of him somewhat enjoys his life with Black Cross, too. Although Lucas eventually overcomes his indoctrinated prejudice towards vampires, he is still repulsed at the idea of becoming one, viewing it as his worst nightmare. Lucas has frequently stated that he'd rather be dead than a vampire, and he quickly begins to loathe himself after becoming a vampire and struggling with his thirst for blood. He is greatly relieved when Bianca makes him human again and doesn't care about losing his immortality, either, saying that he will live on through Bianca and that living a long and happy life with her is "my idea of Heaven".

Physical Appearance
Lucas is described as being very good-looking, with chiseled features, dark golden blonde hair (sometimes described as bronze) and dark green eyes. Lucas is quite tall and has wiry muscles from his Black Cross training and lifestyle. Bianca says he is handsome enough to be mistaken for an "Evernight type", but his dress and behavior suggest otherwise. Lucas has some facial hair, though he tends to shave it (unless he doesn't have access to a razor, or is feeling very down, such as when he and Bianca temporarily broke up and he stopped taking care of himself).

Lucas apparently has an "ageless" face; everyone assumed he was teenager in Evernight, and Bianca was surprised upon learning that he was almost twenty. In Hourglass, however, Lucas states that he can "pass for older" than his actual age. As a vampire, Lucas looks the same, but his skin is pale and his features are more angled. He also has retractable fangs and a star-shaped scar on his chest, where Balthazar More staked him to keep him under control. After becoming human again, Lucas' features presumably go back to how they used to look.

Powers and Abilities
Due to his Black Cross training ever since he was a small child, Lucas is strong and fit. He is also skilled at marital arts and using weapons such as crossbows and stakes. Lucas can also hot-wire, dismantle and repair cars and is skilled at breaking-and-entering. Lucas is also revealed to have some skill in IT and hacking.

After being bitten by Bianca, Lucas starts to gain vampire abilities, too. Whilst not as powerful as a full vampire, Lucas is stronger, faster and more agile than a human, to the point where he is able to successfully overpower both Adrian Olivier and Balthazar More in ''Evernight. ''Lucas also has enhanced senses. After becoming a full vampire, Lucas gains all the abilities of a full vampire, though he presumably loses these once he becomes mortal again.

Bianca Olivier
Lucas was attracted to Bianca from the moment they met, but held her at arm's length and even deliberately ignored and avoided her, out of concern for her safety, and his Black Cross training which required him to stay fully focused on his mission. Eventually, though, Lucas' feelings for Bianca grew stronger and began a relationship with her. Lucas is horrified and disgusted upon learning that Bianca is part-vampire, but his love for her wins over his Black Cross beliefs that all vampires are evil monsters, with Lucas even allowing Bianca to drink his blood and feeling an almost sexual pleasure in it.

Lucas is very protective of Bianca, to the point where he becomes very defensive and inadvertently offends Bianca on a number of occasions, especially in the early days of their relationship. Lucas is often frustrated by Bianca's naivety and her narrow view of the world, particularly when it comes to vampires. However, Lucas deeply regrets hurting Bianca in any way; he even stops taking care of himself when he and Bianca temporarily break up. Lucas is also devastated and near suicidal when Bianca dies in ''Hourglass. ''He was also willing to let Charity kill him, if it meant that Bianca could be spared.

Kate
Lucas loves his mother and also respects her leadership. Their relationship appears to be somewhere between mother and son, and soldier and commander, with Lucas apparently feeling confused over which means more to him. Their relationship becomes more strained after Lucas meets Bianca. After Kate does nothing to defend him and Bianca from Eliza's cell and she attempts to kill him after he is turned into a vampire, Lucas decides to cut ties with her. Even when he becomes human again, Lucas tells Bianca he understands now that his mother "has limits" and that their worldviews are incompatible, what with Lucas falling in love with a vampire, whilst Kate is unable to accept that vampires are anything other than vicious monsters. Lucas is apparently upset that his own mother would choose her duty to Black Cross over family, but ultimately accepts that this is the way things have to be.

Dana
Lucas has known Dana since childhood. They grew up together and are good friends, as she is the only other hunter in the cell close to his age. They can relate to each other and Lucas regards her as being like his sister. Even after discovering he is in love with a vampire and, later, that he has become a vampire himself, Lucas and Dana remain loyal to one another.

Eduardo
Lucas doesn't get on with his stepfather; the pair clash frequently and Lucas dislikes how Eduardo demands respect from him, simply because he is married to Lucas' mother. It is clear Lucas does not view him as a father figure or role model of any kind. Their relationship only worsens when Lucas falls in love with Bianca, due to Eduardo believing Lucas is neglecting his duties because of her. Despite this, when Eduardo is killed, Lucas seems shocked and saddened, though he appears to feel sad for his mother due to her losing her husband, rather than because he misses his stepfather.

Quotes

 * "I've spent a lot of years moving around. Traveling from place to place. Anybody I cared about - it seemed like they were gone too soon. I guess I learned to keep people at a distance."
 * "I couldn't stand it if they took it out on you. And eventually they would." 
 * "As soon as I saw you again, I knew I still needed you. That I still trusted you. Even though you're a vampire - or almost a vampire - whatever you are. It doesn't matter to me. It should, but it doesn't. I can't help how I feel about you." 
 * "I'll never die. You'll live forever, and being remembered by you is the only immortality I'll ever need. If I only live on as part of you - Bianca, that's my idea of heaven."

Appearances

 * Evernight
 * Stargazer
 * Hourglass
 * Afterlife
 * Balthazar (mentioned only)

Trivia

 * The name Lucas means "bringer of light".
 * The name Ross is of Scottish or Gaelic origins, meaning "from the headland/cape/peninsula". It may also be derived from the Gaelic word ruadh, meaning "red". The name was used as a nickname for people with red hair or a ruddy complexion.
 * Lucas is the first male character to appear in the series.
 * He is also technically the first human character introduced (as Bianca is only half human).
 * Lucas once read the novel The Catcher in the Rye, and thought that the main protagonist, Holden Caulfield, was a "self-pitying loser who needs to do more with his time."