In The Shadows Where We Lie

Gracie's POV
Present time
I couldn't decide if I was being stupid, or just human.
Maybe both.
I was feeling sorry for the chick vampire that had threatened multiple times to slaughter me for something I had no control over.
Really, I wasn't completely sure why.

Kat's story had shocked me. It was like some twisted love story, but the princess was never rescued by the prince. Instead, she fell in love with her evil kidnapper. I'm not sure what happened to the prince. Kat seemed upset thinking about it. I asked if Seth ever came after her, and she hissed and shot me a death glare, then fled the room before either one of us could say anything else.

The pained look on her face when she spoke of the last time she saw Seth made the sympathy I never thought I would find for her strong. For a second, I forgot about how much of a bitch she had been to me before.
Then again, she was the one who chose to stay with Kradence, so she could only blame herself, if she felt any pain.

Still, it must have been hard choosing only one of the ones she loved and leaving the other alone and heartbroken.
I understood that part of the sympathy, but it doesn't mean I like feeling bad for her. It's not like she was showing me any sympathy!

Then again, did I really ever expect any in this place?
Not likely.
But as long as Kat doesn't come back to further confuse and torture me, I'll be okay. Well, as okay as I can be in this place.

Kat's POV

Why?
Why did it always have to come up? Forgetting Seth would never be possible! He will always be there, why did I ever think this would be easy?!

I chose Kradence. Whether I still loved Seth then or not, I chose Kradence and he is the only one I want. Still somehow I feel a pull towards Seth. I find myself wondering how things would have been different, had I chose to stay with Seth forever.

For one, I wouldn't have to always be worrying about other girls. My jealousy level might not be jumping up and down all the time because Seth isn't the type to go around looking at other girls. Kradence, on the other hand, just can't help himself. He's a whore, he knows it, I know it; it's a straight up fact. But, ever since he has been with me, those other girls have to fight to keep their lives if they mess with him. He knows how jealous I get, and I think he likes seeing me fight for him. I'll admit, its fun being so feared by the other chicks who want him, but knowing that he is looking at them hurts sometimes.

But if I chose Seth, I'd be living the goody life. Goodies are boring. Well, they party too, but they follow their name. They are just too good. I'm really not up for being a vegetarian vampire; the thought just isn't appealing at all. Living life on the edge is the best. I'm not dying anytime soon, so why live easy? And if Kradence continues to gain power, we will be at the top. Hell, we are practically there already; it's just those damn goodies that are stopping us.

I think when the final battle between us and the goodies comes, I'll be able to fight against Seth. I just have to either avoid him, or completely make myself hate him. That just seems so impossible when I know that it hurts when I think about hurting him more than I already have.

"Stop." Jackie hissed. I flipped around swiftly, hunched into an attack position and growled at her. She just watched me with an amused smile.

"Jaquilla Aria Maye, you know better than to do that. How many times have I already tried to kill you because you sneak on me like that?" I scolded her, again. Her ability was strange. It was almost like invisibility, but not really. Almost like she could stop time, get close to you, and then restart it again so like she just appeared right behind you. She just had complete stealth, more than the normal vampire. I called it her ninja skills.

Jaquilla, or Jackie as she likes to be called, was a "vampire year" younger than me, but 6 years younger in human years. Yes I know, how could I take the life of a poor little 12 year-old who has her whole life ahead of her, I'm horrible right? Wrong. I practically saved her. The girl was on the streets, doing anything for money and getting abused by anyone she encountered. When I found her, she was half dead and probably would have frozen to death in the wintery streets downtown.

But she was exactly what I was looking for. After Kradence changed me, things were fun. But he was busy a lot, and I wanted someone to hang out with. That didn't work, because most guy vampires that I actually liked, Kradence didn't like and any girl just wanted Kradence so I ended up killing them anyways. I wanted someone to be close to, that I could hangout with and talk to and just have fun. Maybe a child? Oh that's right, I can't have children! So a vampire child was what I wanted. But, to force someone to stay a child for all eternity would suck and I wasn't that selfish. So finding Jackie was pure luck, and she turned out to be just perfect.
I love her like family, and she helps me so much it’s like she is older than I am. Plus, she didn't want anything to do with Kradence. Secretly she hated him, but that was okay with me as long as she still stayed here to be my friend.

"You were thinking again Kat, I could tell. You were completely still, and there is now a small crater in the ground where you have been grinding your fist, so don't lie and say you weren't." She scolded me right back. "I told you, thinking about these things doesn't help you. You made your decision, now deal with it. Get it in your thick head that things are better this way." She tapped the side of my head.
I smiled, I knew she was right. She was the only one that could tell me these things and I would listen to her and believe her with out getting pissed and throwing her through a window.

"I know." I barely whispered. She sat beside me, wrapping her arms around me and started humming the Pan's Labyrinth lullaby, knowing it's one of my favorites. Every time she does this, it calms me down. I probably would have gone insane by now if I didn't have Jackie.

"Kat?" She whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Come on. You need to sleep. I know you didn't this morning, and it's like 8:00 pm right now, so you should rest a bit. That way you can be awake in a few hours and still have time to go out before sunrise."

I just nodded as I stood and followed her lead to my room.
Maybe a deep, vampire nap will clear my head.

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