Forever in the Past and Forever in the Future

Chapter 16

Kas’s POV

According to the clock, it’s one in the afternoon.

My stomach growling rouses me out of bed.

Before he left, Bronx said Mrs.Miller was going to bring food up to the apartment.

Seems as good a time as any to go see what goodies she brought up.

I go into the walk-in closet and find a pair of sweatpants and an oversized shirt.

As I’m getting dressed, my mind churns with the events from yesterday, trying to put some sense to all of it.

How did I end up in the pool in the first place? Where have I been for the last four days? I think they are questions best thought about over a turkey sandwich and hopefully a banana.I put my hair up ina floppy bun before I head out to the kitchen.

As I get to the bedroom door, I smell someone’s scent.

It definitely isn’t Bronx’s dark chocolate and coffee scent that I love so much, besides, he told me he was going to the office.

This scent is out of place in my home and I'll be damned if I’m disappearing for another four days.

My brain immediately switches from questions of my disappearance to defense mode.

I let my fangs and claws extend, ready to attack as I slowly, quietly crack the door open.

A large man is standing half-way between the bedroom door and the sofa with his back facing me.

He is in jeans and a white t-shirt with his arms crossed in front of him as if he’s waiting for something.

All the training James and Marco have given me over the past year floods into my brain.

If I can get a foot planted on the small of his back, I can get leverage over him and try to bring him down.

"Kas, what are you doing?" Lex hisses at me.

"Attacking a man who broke into my apartment.I’m not getting kidnapped again, Lex.What do you think I’m doing?" I snap.

"Kas, that’s just-"

"Not now, Lex," I interrupt.

Before she can respond again, I let a purple aura build around me.I suppress a growl as I launch myself at the man from behind.

One foot securely lands on the small of his back while my knee is between his shoulder blades, giving me leverage to lean back without falling off of him.

My hands wrap tightly around his thick neck at the same time.He lets out a strangled cry as my claws bury deep into his windpipe.He grabs my wrists and starts to pull, but not enough to throw me off of his back.

The growl I was suppressing lets loose from my chest, making the room rumble as he grabs me.I start to push my claws deeper into his neck, pulling them back toward my body at the same time.I can feel his pulse quicken against my fingertips as I get closer to his jugular.

The metallic scent of blood is thick in the air as he drops to his knees.

Something's wrong.

he fighting against me? Just as his knees hit the ground, Marco throws the apartment door open and

NO! Stop! It’s James! Luna, please! It's just James! You’re gonna to

pistol, but he has both hands in the air in front of him, showing

eyes are wide, darting from James to me as he takes slow, deliberate steps

for the intruder to reach up, grab me by the shoulders, and

me as I hit the ground, forcing me to dislodge my

look up to see James grabbing

his fingers

at the shock of seeing James bleeding out from his

James’ side and drops to his knees, "James, stay

voice isn’t nearly as panicked as it

he mind links someone, then I watch in horror as Marco consoles his

What have I done? What have I done? "Kas, don’t just sit there.Heal him before it’s

the tears stinging my eyes as I pull

I done? There’s so

face is pale, his usually cheerful blue eyes look glassy and

my Goddess, I’m so sorry.I’m so sorry.Can I heal you, please, James? Please! Just blink if it's okay for me to

looks to me and slowly blinks.I position myself next to his shoulder, surrounded by a growing pool of blood that soaking into

looks at James with disbelief in

looks at me and shakes

closes, but

concentrate.We can do

calmly as I can, which isn’t very calm at all.I wipe my tears away with

go," she whines, seeing

hands away from his

someone is squeezing my heart as I see the extent of the damage my

but they all fade away as I focus on saving James’s life.I send my energy out into his body, pulling muscle and

flesh, repairing tissue that I tore in

energy to their

the darkness of sleep, I can hear a woman calling me, "Iokaste...Kas...Time

that voice, but I can’t

one calls me Iokaste, except for Delilah’s mom,

woman sound so familiar?

is shining through the doorway into the dark room, making it impossible to see anything except her

we?"

important visitors," her tone is

cot I'm laying on.I jolt up and push myself as far away from her as

adjust to the bright light from the doorway.I try to send energy to

burn her a little, she will

focus to slow time

can freeze these two women in time, I can escape out the door and no one gets hurt.I

look around to see if there is a way to escape around them, but

that who I think it is?

clear with Lenora’s strong features and

woman looks annoyed, "No, I’m not

the floor in front of

brown hair is in dreadlocks pulled back into