Forever Second Best

It was the same old song that she used to hear years ago. The same whimsical melody, slow and somewhat comforting. Filling her with a sense of nostalgia, she remembered all the things she associated with that song. Her parents dancing comically along with it…that was before her mother stabbed her father…Jordan singing it to her when they were children and everything was alright…a time which no longer existed the minute he set eyes on her would be best friend…and it reminded her of the time when Jace had hummed it to her in an attempt to get her to calm down. It was one of the only things she could remember of that life. She was a different person then.

She did not know whether to feel happy or sad, it was safe to say that she did not feel anything at all. It was a relief that she no longer pined pathetically for Jordan, something she did practically every day back then. Back then when she was still human. But now, now things were different she thought, a cruel smile playing on her lips.

She didn’t merely change her appearance over the last few years. Now her universe revolved around somebody else. Jace. The sound of her saying his name out loud in her head filled her with a tinge of longing that made her shiver. The very thought of him made her insides feel like they were melting. The feelings she felt were so much greater in intensity than the feelings she had ever felt for Jordan. Jace was her life now. He was the only reason she managed to succeed and climb and claw her way to the top.

Gazing at the masses crowded below her she felt an overwhelming surge of accomplishment. At last, she was finally the best! The best there would ever be! The days of being second best to everyone else were over. There was no better feeling in the world than the one she felt right now. She had so much power, she could feel it coursing through her veins and giving her strength she never before dreamt of possessing. The day she had first met him, she could not help but feel entranced by his beauty and the aura of power he carried with him. He had stolen all of her in that one moment.

~

He was beautiful. But in a strange, a bit too perfect way. She noticed how his long dark lashes brushed the tops of his high cheekbones which stood out in his angular face. His skin was a gleaming pearly white, illuminated and almost glowing in the moonlight. Dark black hair, almost as dark as hers, fell into his eyes and around his face in a casual manner, framing his pale face and contrasting greatly with his too pale skin. He seemed so still she would have thought him a statue if she hadn’t noticed his slight, measured breathing. His hands resting in his pockets, he was leaning on the metal gate of the cemetery, pale skin glowing and dark hair blending in with the darkness of the shadows surrounding him.

 And then he opened his eyes.

She was mesmerised with the dark red of his left eye which contrasted with the pale gray-blue of his right eye, both of which regarded her in a cool manner.

The odd colour of his eyes did not faze her, or for that matter, strike her as unusual at all. She was too busy committing to memory every detail of him. He was so beautiful but his stillness did unsettle her slightly.

At that moment, she remembered briefly wondering how she looked like to him.

And then he moved so incredibly quickly, he was a mere blur amongst the shadows, his lanky body vanishing from the spot in front of her. Disappointment rushed through her being as she felt the crushing weight of her thoughts.

I wasn’t good enough for him was I.

Bitterness seeped through her and she gritted her teeth and tried to tear her eyes from the vacant spot in front of the gate.

She moved back and came to a shuddering halt when she felt someone’s body pressed up against her. She could feel his breathing, in tandem with hers, as he pressed himself even closer against her back. His hands moved slowly to hers and clasped them gently, in a way restricting her movement and binding her more to him. She shivered, but not with fear, but her body trembled with the sudden wave of desire which shot through her as he pressed his lips to the exposed skin at her shoulder.

“You must be Katarina. I was waiting for you.” He whispered against her skin.

She felt her stomach clench as another strong wave of desire rocketed through her body. His voice was the most wonderful thing she had ever heard. Low and husky he seemed to seduce her with just two sentences.

How pathetic.

She ripped her hands out of his and swung round to face him.

“Who do you think you are?!” she whispered in barely concealed anger.

His perfect mouth transformed into a smirk as he introduced himself.

“Well, no need to be rude. I’m Jace. And you’ve taken your time.”

Her mouth gaped open. This-this beautiful creature had been waiting for her?

“What are you?”

“That depends on who you are.”

She frowned, a crease appearing in between her brows. Why is he talking in riddles? How annoying!

“That means nothing to you. I’m leaving.”

His smirk grew wider and he took a confident step to wards her.

“On the contrary, that means quite a fair bit to me. You see,” he paused, gauging her reaction before continuing, “I’ve been wanting you to come with me for quite a while now. But that would be impossible if…you were still human.”

At this she froze.

This guy was raving.

Sure he was gorgeous but oh man was he creepy.

Without a warning she turned and ran for the gate. She thought she heard a sigh from behind her but she didn’t turn back and ran as fast as she could all the way home.

~

As he watched her speed off out of the cemetery, he couldn’t help but let out a loud sigh. He had been watching her the entire time she was mentally analyzing him. She would not know it of course but the various emotions that flitted across her face reminded him of a stack of flashcards being turned at an incredible speed.

She was beautiful.