~Jace~

If I could, in that moment, capture the look on her face forever, I'd do anything—from spending an hour alone with Jonathan, to sacrificing my little brother to a horde of angry humans with pitchforks. If only I could've given her my entire library instead of just the single, measly book that was hardly a hundred pages long. I couldn't even imagine; maybe her green eyes, now lit with overwhelming happiness, would shine from miles away. Maybe her smile, that spread practically from ear-to-ear, would be even larger. And that glow to her only-moments ago sleep-deprived expression, would radiate as eye-catchingly as a pearl. She was always beautiful, but, when she was caught off guard, left with no words to say and completely baffled, she was indescribably so.

I figured that she'd appreciate a token of our time together back at the castle, especially in the form of something I knew she was so fond of. And the book I gave her, Of Mice and Men, just so happened to be the first one we read together. Which, in one way or another, was symbolic of the friendship we'd formed over the course of a couple months. At least to me it was.

Clarissa was passionate about reading, and, though I knew she'd have given anything up to see her family again, that she missed being able to do so. I myself, without having anything to pass the time, had done nothing other than read for the past century or so, but I didn't appreciate it as much as Clarissa. No, I didn't even come close. I'd taken it for granted, really.

The air was still as I weighed her reaction. I don't think the moment could've been any more perfect, what with the slight hum of the night like a song to accompany us, our path lit by the wide-awake stars, and the trees giving us an almost coverage-like shelter to make it seem as if we were even more closed off from the rest of the world. Not to mention, I had the girl I loved to share it with.

Very slowly, I watched as she gently took the book from my hand and held it in her own as if it were a prized treasure greater than the fountain of youth. She clutched it to her chest delicately and beamed up at me, still speechless.

I smiled back at her, almost surprised at how happy I was at seeing her happy. "I take it you like it," I drawled.

She nodded in a hurry, causing me to chuckle.

"When we made our great escape," I started slowly, "and I told you afterwards that food and clothes were at the top of the list of what my brother was packing for you, I lied." I let my eyes wander down to the book, brushing my fingers against its old binding. I knew better than to even attempt to take it from her in that moment; I didn't want to get bitten or anything. "This took the number one slot."

I sounded as if I were talking more to myself than to Clarissa, in a daze, but, then again, maybe I was. It was a declaration of some sort, one that revealed just to what extent I cared for her. How much I thought about her even when she wasn't with me. And, though I couldn't really put that into words, I tried anyways. "Nick, of course, looked at me as if I had grown two heads, but I honestly didn't bother to care...I wondered how you'd react because I remember when you and I first read this together, how you stayed awake the entire time. How it was the first time you allowed yourself to be close to me—even if it was at the opposite end of the couch. As far away as you could get at the time." A ghost of a smile played at my lips as I looked up at her again. "I'm not disappointed. By your reaction, I mean."

Clarissa let out an unsure breath, and I could see in her eyes that she wracking her brain for something, anything to say. Finally, she seemed to come up with something: "Thank you, Jace." It was simple, yet so sweet and sincere that it sounded as if it were a prayer, that she was thanking me a thousands times more than what the set of words entailed. I was elated. She laughed, seemingly at herself, and bit at her lip. "So, let me get this straight: You kidnapped me in the middle of the night, took me far away from the rest of the group so that they'd never know of the unthinkable things you could do to me, have me trapped up against a tree, all bothered because you kissed me as if there's no tomorrow...and, you...give me...a book?"

"That's exactly right," I told her, unable to help but grin myself.

She held the book closer to her chest and dipped her head. "It's creepy because you're a Vampire and all, but in a weird, romantic way." By the end her eyes were locked on mine, glimmering with equal playfulness and gratitude.

I arched a brow and quires the corner of my mouth confidently. "Does this exceed your standards when it comes to boyfriends?"

"Considering that a normal date consists of skipping rocks for a couple hours and eating stale bread, without any privacy and the possibility of someone else crashing the party at any moment...Yes. Yes it does."

"I guess my experience can set me apart from the others," I said, leaving the dual meaning for her to pick up on.

Clarissa scrunched up her face in response. "Oh, yeah. Kind of forgot that you're an old man."

I leaned towards her with a smile, stopping only inches away from her face so that my lips hovered over her own. I let one hand gently roam up her body, starting from her hip, to snake it around the side of her head, resting my thumb over her soft cheek and the remaining fingers to tangle in her curls. "Call me a pedophile so long as you know that you're into one."

Her scoff was cut off by a single kiss that turned into many more throughout the night.

~Unknown~

The air was damp, the aftermath of rain puddling along the stone path and dripping from rooftops. Though it was cold, and my fur coat didn't seem to be enough to fight off the storm's lingering breath, I rather enjoyed flaunting through the quiet village. My heels clacked unceremoniously, reflecting the determination of my red-stained smile, and the promise of...pain glimmering in my eyes. Not even the closed-off houses and unlit shacks could get my spirits down.

I was ready.

So, when I came across the town's infamous bar, guttural laughter, drunken voices, and loud noises of the sort as noticeable as the sole light that came from its windows, and spotted a lone man sitting with his back to me, staring longingly down at his beer, I knew he was perfect.

And so the hunt begins.

Don't kill me! I know it's short, but I thought having Jace's POV, and the little kicker at the end would make up for it. Next chapter, to get the excitement pumping, you'll get to hear from Sebastian, and our group of misfit-heros will have a little run-in with some rogue Vampires. Hmm. Should be fun.

Let me know what you guys think. Feel free to vent about the shortness of the chapter! I know I'm pretty mad about it, too. So, not to get any hopes up here, but I'm thinking that I'll be able to update in the near (near) future.

Until next time, peace(: