Eighth Night...
Since their venture tonight is going to be in a hotter climate, Jade decides to wear something cool and comfortable while still being respectful. She sported a sleeveless top but had a shawl to keep her shoulders covered. She matched them with grey capri pants and sneakers.
An hour later, she met with Perrie at the lobby of Marriott Mena House and as usual, they were going on tour on their own in Egypt.
One of the most mysterious Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Pyramids of Giza – the Great Pyramid of Khufu, Pyramid of Khafre, and the Pyramid of Menkaure – still live up to more than 4,000 years of hype.
Seeing these 4th–dynasty pyramids and their guardian Great Sphinx rising from the Giza Plateau is a sight to behold.
"There's an hour of sound and light show at Giza Pyramids. Do you want to watch it before we tour around the place?" Perrie asks.
"Oh, sure! I'd love to!" Perrie grins at Jade and revs up the Metallic Gray Hummer H2 that she rented out.
The Sound and Light show at Giza Pyramids provides tourists with a learning experience about ancient Egypt and its significant beginning. During the show, Egyptian Pharaohs rise to narrate their stories of reign and achievements.
The show starts with the story of the Sphinx who has been the vigilant guardian of the city of the dead for five thousand years. The show also depicts the story of building the pyramids and relates the history of great figures of ancient Egypt such as Thutmosis IV, Akhnaten, Nefertiti and Tut Ankh Amon.
After the show, unlike most tourists who were heading back to their hotels, Jade and Perrie decided to take a stroll around the Pyramids. They were enjoying the view and the lighting effects on each of the pyramids.
They even took their time to go around the Sphinx where both of them felt amazed at how grand and intimidating it looked up close. It sits proud on the Giza Plateau as a symbol of strength, power and wisdom.
This is also the first time that Perrie didn't rent the entire place because there were still quite a number of tourists exploring alongside them. Jade doesn't seem to mind though. While for Perrie, it doesn't bother her as much since she planned to tour the place with a car.
Once they had their fill of the mighty pyramids, Jade and Perrie decided to hop back into the H2 to explore the desert.
Perrie was driving and it surprised Jade that the scientist knew how to maneuver the car despite the sand dunes ahead of them, making their road trip more fun and exciting.
They were driving farther and farther into the desert, and there were less and less establishments near the road.
Jade looked behind them and noticed that they were heading out of the city. "Where are we going? I think we're out of the city already."
Perrie grins. "Wait and see..." She stepped on the gas and the humvee accelerated further down the road.
"You're not gonna murder me and bury my body in the desert, aren't you?" Jade asks.
Perrie laughed melodiously. "And why would I do that?"
Jade shrugged but was grinning. "I don't know...I've read stories and documentaries, you know."
Perrie chuckles and swerves the vehicle off the road and bashes a couple of huge dunes, startling Jade. "Woah!"
"Hold on tight!" Perrie warns as she revs up the engine as the car climbs up an extremely steep dune. She only slowed down when she was sure they were near the top.
When they reach the top, Jade is yet again amazed at the spectacular view. It was a moonless night paving a great scenery where they could see the most stars.
"Wow," Jade says as she silently gasps. Perrie was smiling as she studied the brunette's reaction. "Is this..."
"The Sahara – the largest desert in the world that connects 11 countries." Perrie said with a grin.
"Woah! Look at that..." Jade gasps after she looks up at the sunroof, gazing up at the galaxy of stars above them.
Jade was about to hop off the car when Perrie stopped her. "No, don't..."
"Why not?"
"It's dangerous at night. Scorpions, sand vipers, cobras, cheetahs – they might just be lurking somewhere around here. And I don't know what else is out there that might surprise us."
Jade raised an eyebrow. "Sounds exciting to me. Do you want me to get you a sand viper or scorpion?" Jade offered. "You can study their venom and make medicine out of it."
Perrie blinked a couple of times, she couldn't believe what Jade was saying. "Jade, no! Are you mad or what? It's too dangerous! Just...just stay here, okay?"
Jade lets go of the door handle after she sees Perrie's horrified reaction. They stared at each other for a while before Jade spoke again.
"C'mon...don't kill the fun. Just five minutes."
"There's nothing fun in getting bitten by a snake–especially cobras! You could die in minutes!"
Jade smiles. "And that's what makes it more fun and exciting!"
"May I remind you, woman, the other night you were afraid of sharks. Now you want to hunt cobras?"
Jade playfully rolls her eyes at the blonde. "I am not afraid of sharks, woman." She says, mocking Perrie. "I just don't like their smuggy smirking faces."
Perrie sighs. "Jade..."
Jade felt Perrie was being serious. She took the blonde's hand in hers and asked, "Do you trust me, Perrie?"
That made Perrie think for a second. She likes Jade very much even if they've only known each other for a short while. She knew she felt something more for the brunette. Trust is big. And at this stage in their adventure, she's unsure about it but she's willing to take her chances.
Perrie sighs once more. "Yes..."
"Just...five minutes," Jade reassures her. "We won't fully enjoy the desert experience without getting our feet touching the slightest bit of sand."
Perrie was nervous but she's betting her trust on Jade. "Fine. But only for five minutes," she finally says but not after shooting daggers at the brunette who only shrieked in excitement.
Jade was first to get out of the humvee, followed by Perrie who was looking left and right at every step she made. While Jade skipped the moment her feet touched the sand, gazing up at the clear dark sky.
When she saw how uneasy Perrie looked, she approached the blonde and held her hand. "Come here...Just hold my hand." Jade coaxed her. "Look at the sky and forget about the snakes."
Jade is confident that no dangerous species would harm them even if she knows they're just around them. She had this theory and tested it a long time ago with the world's most dangerous animals.
Whenever they sense Jade's presence, they immediately retreat. It's probably one of the perks of being the Devil's daughter. Even the animals know what they're up against.
Perrie was enjoying the night with Jade that she even forgot about the silly five minutes. She saw how expansive and bewildering the horizon was. And Jade just let her take in the view that no one gets to see every day.
When Perrie did remember the five minutes, she immediately grabbed Jade's hand and dragged her in the car.
Perrie released a deep breath as she held onto the steering wheel.
"Bummer. No cobras?" Jade teased as she looked out. She was startled when Perrie lightly hit her arm. "What?"
"Stop looking for danger!"
Jade turned to her with a sly grin on her face. "Be honest with me, you had fun."
Perrie rolled her eyes and smiled. "Yeah..."
"You almost missed all the fun because you were too scared to get out of the car."
Perrie sighs and revs up the engine of the civilian version of the humvee. "I got bitten by a snake last year exploring the Amazon forest." Jade whipped her head to Perrie. "I almost died on my way to the hospital." Her grip tightened on the steering wheel. "It didn't stop me from exploring more forests, but it definitely traumatized me. I was just really good at hiding it from my team. That's why I'm too scared to get out earlier knowing that there are 96 different species of snakes living in this desert."
Perrie kept stealing glances at the brunette as she continued to drive. While Jade was focused on her.
"I was shaking out there, but when you hold my hand–it's just..." She pauses for a second, trying to think of the exact words to describe what she felt. "It's like all my fears are gone..."
Jade smiles from ear-to-ear after hearing what Perrie said. She takes the blonde's hand and kisses it before putting her other hand on top of it. If Perrie was being honest, putting her trust on Jade tonight was one of the many things she's thankful for.
"I'm always here holding your hand whether you're happy or scared. I'll always be there for you, no matter what." This time, it was Perrie who smiled wide and momentarily looked at Jade.
They were heading out the highway when Perrie didn't notice an incoming truck. Jade's eyes grew wide when she noticed that the truck's light was blinding them almost. It happened so fast. But Jade is faster, she immediately raised her hand and curled it into a fist, effectively stopping time.
The truck was mere inches away from colliding into the Hummer H2. If Jade hadn't stopped time, they would've been involved in a total wreckage accident.
Jade immediately got out of the car and made her way to the truck. She saw that the driver was unconscious. She also saw that there were bottles of rum on the floor and next to the driver. Clearly, he's been drinking while driving and passed out while driving.
Jade slowly removed the driver from the truck and laid him on the side of the road and removed the key from the ignition and turned the wheel in the direction of the road instead of the rental car, so no one would get hurt.
"Jade, what's going on?"
Jade froze in place after getting the keys of the truck. She's pretty sure she hadn't resumed the flow of time yet, but why was Perrie behind her?
She slowly turned around only to come face-to-face with the blonde. Perrie was looking around them and noticed the strange phenomenon.
"H–How is this possible?" Perrie asks. "Everything is frozen except for us." Jade continued to stare at the blonde. "Jade?"
Jade dragged Perrie back into the car. She takes the driver seat as the blonde settles in the passenger seat before she parks the car on the side of the road and returns the flow of time.
Perrie saw how the driverless truck resumed its acceleration towards the opposite side of the road where it hit a large sand dune.
Everything went back to normal when Jade heaved a deep breath. Stopping time has always been a bit exhausting for her. She then turns her attention back to the blonde.
"How are you not affected?" Jade asks.
"Affected by what?" Perrie countered. She was staring at Jade when she finally realized something. "OH MY GOD! You're the one who stopped time. Aren't you?"
Of all the days that someone could witness her using her powers, Jade wished it wasn't one of those days. Has she gone complacent? Maybe. Was she too distracted by the blonde that they almost got into an accident? Possibly. Will she be dismissing the subject in case Perrie decides to ask more questions? Highly debatable. But she can't deny it now, the blonde clearly saw her stop time.
"Damn..." Perrie comments, bringing Jade back from her internal battle. "You have the ability to freeze time. How cool is that? How did you get it?"
"I...uh–"
"What else can you do?" Perrie inquires, clearly fascinated by the brunette even more.
"Aren't you freaked out about it?"
"I told you, I've known people before who have special abilities–a gift from nature. This isn't new to me. But stopping time? That's the first and probably the most rare kind of ability one can have..." Perrie continued rambling about how enchanted she is about gifted people.
Jade, on the other hand, wasn't digesting what the blonde was saying because she's more concerned why the blonde wasn't affected by her power. And since Perrie knows about it, what will happen next? She can't tell her yet that she's Scarlet Venom. Not after what happened to Leigh-Anne the other night.
But when Jade thought about it, Perrie only saw her stop time. The blonde hasn't seen her other abilities. Scarlet Venom, however, is known to fly, for being extremely fast, exceptionally strong, and surprisingly fire-proof, yet no one knows about her ability to stop time or travel through portals except for Leigh and Taylor.
She thinks Perrie is still safe. She won't suspect that she and Scarlet Venom are the same.
"...and I got excited, you know! And don't worry, I won't tell anyone – your secret is safe with me." Perrie added. When Perrie noticed the brunette hadn't said a word yet, "Jade?"
Perrie said a lot of things, and Jade didn't really understand most of it because she was so lost in her own world of worry. She was only brought back into reality when the blonde mentioned her name.
"You zoned out again...did I bore you?" Perrie asks, glancing at the brunette while driving back to their hotel.
"No...no, Perrie. It's not like that. It's just...stopping time usually takes a lot of energy from me. And I'm feeling kinda tired right now..."
It is true. It took her almost twenty minutes to save the driver and maneuver the truck sideways all while she was stopping the flow of time.
"Oh, are you okay?" Perrie asks, her hand brushes Jade's cheek.
"Yeah...I'm fine."
"We'll be in the hotel in fifteen. Hang in there, love..." Perrie hits the gas, taking advantage of the maximum speed of the Hummer.
It wasn't a surprise for Perrie when she found out about Jade's ability. Her gut feeling or instinct as a scientist is always spot on. She's been studying the sources of powers ever since she was studying in university.
It's also one of the reasons why she decided to explore a lot of forests, not just to discover new medicines but also because she believes the usual source of special abilities comes from the most dangerous forests in the world.
The first time she saw Jade at the Casino, she just knew that something was special but different about her. And that's what fueled her interest in pursuing the brunette. But Jade's special ability isn't just the reason why things become more interesting for her.
Even the first night they spent together, her feelings for the brunette had been different. Something that she hasn't felt from her past lovers and flings – something new that she hasn't felt before.
Perrie's a straightforward kind of person. A personality she developed growing up as an Edwards. That's why there was no hint of hesitation in her voice when she admitted to the brunette how she felt. But that was five nights ago, and she's pretty sure as the nights go by, her feelings for Jade are slowly going deeper and deeper.
In less than fifteen minutes, Perrie parked the car in front of the hotel where they checked in.
Perrie immediately got out of the car first and helped the brunette stand up to her feet. She guided Jade until they reached the brunette's room. She stayed with Jade until she was sure that Jade was feeling better.
When Jade finally fell asleep, Perrie retired to her own room.
It was the second time Jade fell asleep in a thousand years. The first one was when she defeated The Dark Tower eons ago.
Meanwhile, back to the site where the truck incident happened. The driver was talking to someone on the phone.
"Yes, it is confirmed, My Liege" he says in a throaty voice. "The girl's power did not work on the blonde woman. She did not even sense that I am not human. The blonde would be the Princess of Hell's undoing." The driver smirked as his eyes turned all black while he drove the truck back on the road.
Jade didn't know that all while she safely moved the driver to the side of the road and maneuvered the wheel to the opposite direction, he was awake and observing her. Jade didn't sense it because the stench of liquor masked his natural scent which would've given away that he was a demon.
Jade's senses don't work 100% especially when she's with Perrie, add to the fact that she was distracted because the blonde wasn't affected by her stopping the flow of time.
That night, Perrie couldn't sleep. She was just tossing and turning in her bed, so she decided to go back to Jade's room.
When she got there, the brunette was still asleep. She slowly sits on the opposite side of the bed, and eases her way into the covers, careful not to make any sudden movements that could potentially awaken Jade.
She lays on her side, facing the brunette and gently caresses Jade's cheek that caused the brunette to stir a little and laid on her side to face the blonde.
Perrie smiles. All she can think about right at that moment is to be with Jade all the time. The brunette's face is the first thing she wants to see every morning, and the last thing she wants to see every night before going to bed.
Perrie didn't notice that she fell asleep staring at the perfection that is Jade Thirlwall.
When Perrie woke up the next day, she was surprised that the duvet was covering her. When she turned around, Jade wasn't there anymore, but there was a note left on the pillow.
Perrie sighs in relief and smiles at the thought of Jade breaking a lot of rules in the places that they've been to, but with Perrie's one simple rule, she never thought of breaking.
She shook her head at her daydream and went back to her room with Jade's note in hand.
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♫ Keep Me Guessing - Abe Parker