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

It's just James! You’re gonna to kill him!"

the air in front of him, showing he doesn’t intend

darting from James to me as he takes slow, deliberate

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

knocked out of me as I hit the

up to see

out between his fingers as he falls

shock of seeing James bleeding out from his

side and drops to his

as

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

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

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

have I done?

his usually cheerful

no no! Oh my Goddess, I’m so sorry.I’m so sorry.Can I heal you, please, James? Please! Just blink if it's okay for

slowly blinks.I position myself next

at James with disbelief in his

he looks at me and shakes his head

closes, but nothing

concentrate.We can do

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

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

James’s hands away from

squeezing my heart as I see the extent of the

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

tore in half.I feel someone gently shaking

their

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

voice, but I can’t

me Iokaste, except for Delilah’s mom, Lady

so familiar? I

through the doorway into the dark room, making

we?" I

important visitors," her tone is

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

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

can burn her a little, she will back away.I concentrate

to focus to

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

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

minute? Is that who I

as her outline becomes more clear with Lenora’s strong features and signature

woman looks annoyed, "No, I’m not Lenora.Are you

front of the cot.I

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