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 defending himself? Why isn’t he fighting against me? Just as his

It’s James! Luna, please! It's just James! You’re

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

from James to me as he takes slow, deliberate steps towards

second of distraction is enough for the intruder to reach up, grab me

the ground, forcing

look up to see James

out between his fingers as he falls to the

the shock of seeing James

over to James’ side and drops to his

isn’t nearly as panicked

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

my Goddess! What have I done? What have I done? "Kas,

my eyes as I pull

I done? There’s so much

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

to me and slowly blinks.I position

James with disbelief

at me and

and closes, but nothing comes

Lex.Let’s concentrate.We can do

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

Kas.Let’s go," she whines, seeing James

pull James’s hands

as I see the

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

flesh, repairing tissue that I tore in half.I

their touch, intense but familiar and

of the darkness of sleep, I can hear a

know that voice, but I can’t

me Iokaste, except for Delilah’s mom,

woman sound so

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

where are we?" I

visitors," her tone is full

crouching next to the cot I'm laying on.I jolt up

bright light from the doorway.I try

little, she will back away.I concentrate on

to slow time down

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

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

that who I

ask as her outline becomes more clear with Lenora’s strong

annoyed, "No, I’m not

the other woman, who is sitting on the floor in front of the cot.I look more

into a ponytail.She has scarlet irises, red as blood.Her sun-weathered skin