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.

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

It’s James! Luna, please! It's just

hands in the air in front

are wide, darting from James to me as he

reach up, grab me by the shoulders, and throw me over top of him, flat on my

me as I hit the ground, forcing me to

up to see

gushing out between his fingers as

and claws retract at the shock of seeing James bleeding out from his

races over to James’ side and drops

nearly as panicked as

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

done?

as I pull myself up.I can’t catch

have I done? There’s so much

his usually cheerful

sorry.Can I heal you, please, James? Please! Just blink

able 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 a growing pool of blood that soaking

James with disbelief in his watery

at me and shakes

opens and closes, but nothing comes

Lex.Let’s concentrate.We can

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

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

pull James’s hands away

is squeezing my heart as I see the

hear and feel people around me, but they all fade away as I focus on saving James’s life.I send my energy out

I tore in half.I

is an energy to their touch,

As I come out of the darkness of sleep, I

voice, but I can’t place

one calls me Iokaste, except for Delilah’s mom, Lady Camille.It definitely

this woman sound so familiar? I slowly open

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

we?" I ask

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

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

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

will back away.I

focus to

can escape out the door and no one gets hurt.I try to focus, but again, nothing

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

who I think it

as her outline becomes more clear with Lenora’s strong

looks annoyed, "No, I’m

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

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