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

Stop! It’s James! Luna, please! It's just James! You’re gonna to kill him!" he

hands in the air

James to me as he takes slow, deliberate steps towards

second of distraction is enough for the intruder to reach up, grab me by the shoulders, and throw me over top of

the ground, forcing me to dislodge

to see

out between his fingers as he

at the shock of

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

isn’t nearly as panicked as it should

someone, then I watch

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

my eyes as I pull myself up.I can’t catch my

done?

face is pale, his usually cheerful blue eyes look glassy

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 heal

stop the tears now.I force down a sob as he looks to me and slowly blinks.I position myself next to his shoulder, surrounded by a growing pool of blood that soaking into the

at James with

looks at me and shakes

and closes, but

Lex.Let’s concentrate.We can

isn’t very calm at all.I

go," she whines, seeing

pull James’s hands away

as I see the extent of the damage my claws made.I

the distance, I can hear and feel people around me, but they all fade away as I focus on saving James’s life.I send my energy out into his body, pulling

I tore in half.I feel someone

their

the darkness of sleep, I can hear a woman calling

but I can’t

calls me Iokaste, except for Delilah’s mom, Lady Camille.It definitely isn’t

this woman sound so

the doorway into the dark room, making it impossible to see anything except

are we?" I ask

Kas.You have important visitors," her tone is full

the cot I'm laying on.I jolt up and push myself

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

she will back away.I concentrate on

to slow time down a

in time, I can escape out the door and no one gets hurt.I try to focus,

if there is a way to escape around them, but the

a minute? Is that who

outline becomes more clear with Lenora’s strong features and

annoyed, "No, I’m not Lenora.Are you

floor in front of the cot.I look more carefully at the woman in front

me.Her long chocolate brown hair is in dreadlocks pulled back into a ponytail.She has scarlet irises, red as blood.Her sun-weathered skin makes her look older than she