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.

as his knees hit the ground, Marco throws

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

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

eyes are wide, darting from James to me as

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

I hit the ground, forcing

up to see James grabbing his

his fingers as he falls to

retract at the shock of seeing James bleeding out from

to James’ side and drops to his

as panicked as

someone, then I watch

done? What have I done? "Kas,

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

I done? There’s so

is pale, his usually cheerful blue eyes

No no no no no! Oh my Goddess, I’m so sorry.I’m so sorry.Can I heal you, please,

to 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

James with disbelief in

me

opens and closes, but nothing

concentrate.We can

as I can, which isn’t very calm at

she whines, seeing James fading on the

gently pull James’s hands away

pour out in spurts from the gaping wound.I feel like someone is squeezing my heart as I see the extent of the damage my claws made.I

they all fade away as I focus on saving James’s

I tore in half.I feel someone gently shaking me

is an energy to their touch, intense but familiar and

a truck hit me? As I come out of the darkness of sleep, I can

voice, but

Iokaste, except for Delilah’s mom,

sound so familiar? I slowly

through the doorway into the dark room, making it impossible to see

are we?" I ask

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

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

light from the doorway.I

little, she will back away.I concentrate on

weird.I try to focus to slow time

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

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

a minute? Is that who I think it is?

clear with Lenora’s strong

annoyed, "No, I’m

the floor in front of

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 makes her look older than