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.

his knees hit the ground, Marco throws the apartment door open

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

his pistol, but he has both hands in the air in front of him, showing he doesn’t

from James to me as he takes slow, deliberate

reach up, grab me by the shoulders, and throw me over

knocked out of me as I hit the

up to see

gushing out between his fingers as he falls to the

the shock of seeing James bleeding out from his

races over to James’ side and drops

voice isn’t nearly as panicked as it should

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

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

in my head.I can feel the tears stinging my eyes as I

done? There’s

face is pale, his usually cheerful blue eyes

I heal you, please, James? Please! Just

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

James with disbelief in his watery

me and shakes his head

opens and closes, but

Lex.Let’s concentrate.We can do

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

all my energy, Kas.Let’s go," she whines, seeing James fading

James’s hands away

my heart as I see the extent of the damage my claws made.I place my hands over his neck and

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

tissue that I tore in half.I feel someone gently

to their touch, intense but familiar

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

that voice, but I can’t

Delilah’s mom, Lady Camille.It definitely isn’t

this woman sound so familiar? I slowly

through the doorway into the dark room, making it

are we?" I

Kas.You have important visitors," her tone

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

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

if I can burn her a little, she will back

to focus to slow time down a

escape out the door and no one gets hurt.I try to

my Goddess.I’m trapped.I look around to see if there is a way to escape around them, but the only exit is

minute? Is that who I

becomes more clear with Lenora’s strong features and

"No,

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

is holding a metal wine glass toward 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