Secrets Between Us

Chapter 7 - The Warning

I gasped as I caught the edge with my hands.If I fell I'd be in a room full of flesh eating bugs. Fear instantly struck with in me. Mother always told me the horrors of these beetles. They eat you from the inside out until there's nothing left.
"Oh hell no!!!Help!"
I yelled but I knew no one heard me I went to far.
~This is bad. Real bad. I have nothing to pull myself up on. I was never great at upper body strenth.
"Jessica?!"
I heard and fermiliar voice
"Ardeth?! Is that you?! !Help me please Im gonna AHH!"
the rock broke more, crumbling in my hands, but was caught just in time.I didnt care who my savior was these bugs scarred me shitless..
so I held onto the person tightly
"Oh dear Allah thank you!"
I said on the verge of tears
"You're welcome.. it is not safe here. You and your friends must leave at once. Get them out of here"
I back up abit to see who saved me.
I gasped
A Medjai!It HAD to be Ardeth. Accept...finally..after 3 years..I see his face and he was handsome. I felt myself blushing. He had tattoos on his face and wore all black too
"Ardeth? Your medjai attacked and killed some of our men!"
I said angrily
"To make you go so you wont let something out that shouldn't be unleashed...Evil"
He said but I sighed shaking my head.
"I dont have a say really.Im here to help my friends.My Dad and I were hired. We cant leave now because they won't take no for an answer"
I said as I got up
"You do not understand.You are in grave danger"
I kept walking though.This time he pinned me against a ruin wall
"I dont want to see anyone die...especially you...Jessica you have grown into a powerful priestess. The last of our kind! You know there is evil here. I know you can sense it. Listen to your powers when you feel that sensation. If it feels light on your chest this means it is good or there is a strong connection..if it is heavy, however..you know it is evil. I know you were taught this in your training. I dont know what is about you Jessica..you have this aura coming from you...you are an important person...after all it was you who I saved 3 years ago. I felt the untapped power inside of you. You're wasting it by being here"
He said and I gasp
"So it was you who's been watching me!I feel a connection with you..and You're right Ardeth. I do feel evil here but Evy...she..she wont listen to reasoning..Whatever happens I have to let her see this through..even if it means my life but Ardeth...I feel...like I know you"
I said as i got closer to him.I could feel his warm breath tingle my lips
"I have the same feeling...being close to you..it almost..feels like we've done this before.."
He told me but then he sighed and pulled back gently.I was confused.
"We should stop...its not right"
He said after 3 minutes
"Youre right...but it feels right.. I'll back off I'm sorry"
I said as i pulled back myself...then..
"My grandfather was a medjai...his name was Chigaru.He died...in battle.I never got to meet him. My mother ran to America with my father after she found out her pregnancy with me. Thy never got to fix things before they both died"
I said sadly. Ardeth shifted his weight, not knowing what to say to that but what could one really say?
"Ive only ever heard of him. My Dad told me stories of his bravery. He was a good man..Im sorry you never got to meet him. I didn't have a chance to either"
I sighed sitting down on the ground and drinking from my cantene
"Ive heard of him...he was a good man...my name is Ardeth Bay"
He said and I smile
"Ardeth...your name it sounds...exotic"
I said giggling. He smirked shaking his head. I looked down at my canteen, playing with the straps on it.
"I honestly dont want to be here.I want to be training.I spent 3 years traning all types of combat but I know I can do more I just...I need to find a new teacher..Mudarris Ari..she was great..but knowledge is power and I only want to get stronger"
I said starring at my palm.He smirked
"Maybe when all this is over you can be trained by an actual medjai"
He said and I smile
"I'd like that very much Ardeth"
I said as we sat closely together.I blushed smiling
"Its nearly night.I have to go"
He said as I picked my head up from his shoulder
"Do you really?"
I asked sadly
"I am afraid so. Please try and talk your friends out of this..it will only lead to the death of your comrads.If not...I can not predict what the Medjai will do.I must go..but I leave you with this.."
He kissed my hand gently and stood up.
"Goodbye..Jessica"
he said looking at me
"Goodbye...Ardeth.I hope this isn't the last time we meet"
I said biting my lip. He actually smiled...he was truly a beautiful man.He then got on his horse and rode off till I couldn't see him any more. I sighed, going pee, and walking back to camp. It was night now..
~yup...dads gonna flip shit~
i thought
(Skip scene)
"Where the hell have you been!I've been worried sick!Thats 2 more weeks youre groun-"
"Dad! You CANT ground me anymore! Why cant you see Im NOT 16 any more!"
I got up and went into the tent angrily. I shared a tent with Evy but she was out there with Jonathan and my Dad. The warden was drunk and passed out in his own tent.
(Ricks pov)
"So I'm to understand you two have been apart for 3 years right? You missed the age growth with her. Rick she spent 3 years doing hard core training. Your daughter has spiritual powers passed down from her grandfather and beyond that shes 23 now. You cant ground her any more. She's an adult...go talk to her..try to understand her...thats what my relationship with my father was and we were so close...if you don't try to understand her now Rick.. you're going to lose that relationship..forever" Evy said. I sighed. I knew she was right.
"Yeah yeah Im goin"
I said getting up and walking to her tent..
~This is gonna suck ~
i thought dulled.

(My pov)
I was laying in bed pissed off...
Im getting real tired of being treated like a god damn child...
My thoughts started to drift to Ardeth...I blushed...he was so perfect...his eyes were so deep...dear god was I falling for him? I barely know him!...yet...yet he's so...alluring..Im drawn to him..and part of me wants to do way more then kiss him...
~I want to see him again....Ardeth Bay...~
i thought laying flat on my back now
"Jess?"
I heard my dad. I jumped up scared out of my mind, my face was beat red.
"Dad! Uh...ahem...what do you want?"
I asked annoyed. He sighed sitting next to me.
"Well its been brought to my attention Ive been...stuck in my ways about how I dicipline you...when the truth is..I can't any more. You're right. You're an adult now..but you are still a young one. A promising one at that. I promise no more groundings...we'll just..talk about it from now on. Im proud of you kid"
he said ruffling my hair
"Daaaad"
i said smiling. I took his hand, and pulled him in a hug.
"I love you Dad"
I said. I felt him release a breath.
"I love you too kid. Get some rest"
he said
"Im actually not tired...but Dad..."
i said nervously
~he might not like this~
i thought.
"Yeah?"
He asked looking at me
"One of Medjais...people I trained around...he told me we should leave. There's an evil here. I feel it. I don't think..this place..is something we should be digging up around"
I said but he put a hand on my shoulder.
"We can handle it. Besides, we've got a Medjai priestess on our side"
he said smiling. I sighed
"Well I had to try. Can we drink? To calm my nerves? I mean I turned 21 already and didn't get to have a drink with my old man"
I asked. He chuckled.
"Okay first of all don't ever call me old man. Secondly, come on. It's long over due but don't go crazy. We have to be up early tomorrow to continue the job"
He said smirking
"Sweet!"
I said giggling. I nodded smiling as we exited the tent. Evy smiled at us
"All settled then?"
She asked. I smiled Looking at my dad and nodding. My Dad smiled, handing me a beer. I sighed, cracking it
"Why does it seem like you've done this before?"
My dad asked I giggled
"It is my first time...with a beer"
I said smirking. My Dad just shook his head opening his own beer as Jonathan and Evy laughed. My Dad got serious then.
"The Americans had a little misfortune of their own today.3 of their diggers were uh...melted"
My dad said
"What?"
I asked in disbeliefe
"How?"
Evy asked
"Salt acid.Pressurized salt acid.Some kind of booby trap"
Dad said shaking his head again.
"Maybe this place really is evil"
I said to which Evy gave me a -youre-crazy- look and then the wind blew.Jonathan and Dad looked at eachother
"Oh for goodness sake you three!"
Evy said annoyed
"You dont believe in curses?"
I asked with a raised brow.
"No I dont.I believe if I can see it and I can touch it it's real.That what I believe in"
She said
"Well believe the priestess over here. I sense bad juju here. Gotta believe in something"
I said sipping my beer.
"I believe in being prepared"
Dad said setting his pistol up
"Lets see what our friend believed in"
Jonathan said diggin in the now dead warden's bag.
3 minutes later Jonathan screamed making us all jump.
"My god what is it?"
Evy asked as Jonathan pulled out a bottle of liquor
"A broken bottle.Glen livet.Twelve years old! He may have been a stinky fellow,but he had good taste"
Jonathan said gulping it.
"Hey give me a taste"
I said smirking.
"Cheers baby girl"
Jonathan said smirking. I took it and waterfalled it so I didn't get cut.
"Really?"
My dad asked me. I smirked shrugging.
"Where is our warden friend?"
I asked Sarcastically. My Dad looked down...almost afraid to tell me.
"Dad?"
I asked confused.
"What? Who cares the man died of flesh eating bugs"
Jonathan said.
My eyes widened.
My dad hit Jonathan in the arm.
"Ow! What?!"
He said but then looked at me...shaking tremendously.
"Jessies...mom...she...she uh.."
"Growing up...even now..I've told everyone she died from birth complications..it was..easier to say that then what really happened...when I was 5...She was eaten infront of me...by those cursed things"
i said darkly. Dad looked into the fire. A depressed look written all over his face.
"I....had to set her corpse on fire.. they were coming after Jess"
My dad said closing his eyes
"I touched something I shouldn't have and it was a trap..the beetles.. they came swarming in..."

(Flashback)
"RICK! Get Jessica OUT OF HERE!"
My mother yelled throwing me far from her. I rolled and Dad caught me scooped me up but I was struggling to break free.
"MOMMY!"
I screamed but Dad turned and ran out..the last thing I saw were the bugs crawling in her skin and coming out her mouth.
(End flashback)
"My Dad was on an exhibition..the baby sitter had the flu and with such short notice they had to bring me...they would of eaten me too if it weren't for my dad and her saving me"
I said with tears in my eyes.
"Im so sorry Jess..Come here"
Evy hugged me. I lied my head on her shoulder as she rubbed my back.
Suddenly I heard the faint sound of hourses whinnying......