I stared down at the odd object I held in my hands. It was an enchanting shade of blue, with streaks of flame colored markings along it's circumference. A pendant of sorts, I guess, but I didn't really put much thought into it. I would later regret that decision. Rolling the pendant in my hands, I memorized every detail. From its flawless diamonds that were placed delicately in the center to the perfect shape. I knew that to let something this valuable out of my sight would be a careless and idiotic mistake. I pocketed the jewel and continued on my path home. My traitor thoughts led me back to earlier that day.

I was sitting in one of the booths in my favorite coffee shop. I ordered a biscotti and some French vanilla swirl coffee and was sipping every few minutes. The cold winter air whooshed around the clear glass of the coffee shop, disturbing the freshly fallen snow. I stared at the mini-whirlwinds and spaced out. Someone clearing their throat snapped me back into reality with a harsh shove, and I jumped slightly from the unexpected visitor.

"I am sorry Miss if I startled you," the stranger said, "but I need to talk to you." I stared at him dumbly for a few moments, not saying anything. He had soft features. His hair was a striking black that contrasted strikingly against his pale skin. The boy had eyes the color of periwinkle. Odd shade, I thought. My eyes traveled further down his face. The stranger had a straight, but adorable button nose. Is that even possible? Mr. Stranger had soft-looking pink lips. He looked to be about fifteen. "Miss?" he asked. My reverted my eyes up from his lips as he spoke, a light shade of red tainting my cheeks.

"May I sit here?" the stranger asked. "Sure," I replied. He sat down and spoke softly, "My name's Jace. Your name would be?" "Elli." I replied clipped, suspicion lacing my voice. Jace looks harmless enough, but looks can be deceiving. He cleared his throat again, "Well- to start off, I don't mean to bother you but I would like you to have this." Jace reached into his pocket and pulled out a pendant. He cradled my hand gently, as if he could break it easily and slid the object into my palm. "I know it makes no sense but please keep it and don't lose it." He emphasized don't as if people had done so in the past. I took the pendant stared at it for a moment, before glancing back up at his face. His eyes were pleading, so I gave in and hooked it to a loop on the inside of my jacket.

"Why would you want me to keep something that looks so valuable? It looks like it costs quite a lot." I whispered in awe. He shook his head and grunted "Keep it," before changing the subject. "I need you to be careful, and don't ever go somewhere without that." With that said he abruptly stood and left. I stared at him in bewilderment. Instead of musing his unexpected behavior, I paid for the biscotti and coffee and then turned to leave. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of jet-black hair.

I turned the corner to wait at a stoplight. Don't Trust Me by 3 Oh! 3 rang, breaking the silence. A glance at the screen told me it was Sarah calling. I didn't feel like listening to her mundane chatter, so I silenced it. Another mistake, the back of my mind told me. I crossed the street, seeing a boy I didn't see there a few seconds ago. He stared at me hard, like he was concentrating on finding something. DANGER, DANGER!!!! my subconscious blared at me, causing me to stagger back. Apparently the boy sited what he wanted and stared at my jacket as if he could see straight to the necklace.

A slow, malicious smile of contempt crept up onto his face, giving me chills. It was then that I decided to turn and take the short way home. I shook my head, confused as to whether I should be grateful or not that Jace gave me the rarity. I replayed the time I spent with Jace in my head. He admittedly was very attractive, and if he had not been a complete stranger, I would've flirted. I called Sarah just to get my mind off the turn of events. Luckily, her endless swooning over Luke Valentine was wearing.

When I reached home, I found that my mother was not there. A note taped to the refrigerator reminded me that she had a meeting- and that I had to do some grocery shopping. I sighed and picked up the money she left on the counter, headed to the market. There was a lot of fruit and vegetables to buy. My mother was a vegan, I thought idly. Wonder why she chose that route. I saw the same boy in the exact same spot across the street, and stared straight ahead as if I couldn't see him. He chuckled and walked off into the other direction. Freaked out, I sped up, wanting to get home as fast as I could.

When I returned, I hung my jacket up and threw my keys on the table. My mother was in the kitchen cooking. It smelled delicious so I hovered around the pot, waiting for her to turn around so I could dip my finger into it. I liked to call it a cauldron, partially to see my mother's frustrated reaction, and partially because that's exactly what it looked like. Sensing my thoughts, she sent me to my room and said she would call me when dinner was ready. Grudgingly I stomped upstairs, but stopped in my tracks as I noticed what-or who- was perched on my bed frame. I blinked slowly because my mind could not process what I was seeing.

The second time I blinked, the figure disappeared. I stood there unmoving, my eyes slithering around the room. Too scared to move, I searched the area silently. When I was done, I found that I still could not move. What the…? "Sweetheart! Dinners ready!" my mom called and like magic I was able to move again. I backed out of the room, and joined Mom in the kitchen. Big mistake…