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.

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

just James! You’re gonna to kill him!" he

hands in the air in front

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

reach up, grab

hit the ground, forcing me to

look up to see James grabbing

between his fingers

and claws retract at the shock of seeing James bleeding

races over to James’ side and drops to his knees, "James, stay with me,

voice isn’t nearly as panicked as it

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

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

tears stinging my eyes as I pull myself up.I can’t

done?

his usually cheerful blue eyes look glassy and

Goddess, I’m so sorry.I’m so sorry.Can I heal you, please, James? Please! Just blink

slowly blinks.I position myself next to his shoulder, surrounded by a growing pool of blood

with disbelief in

me and shakes his

closes,

concentrate.We can do

calm at all.I wipe my tears away with my

you all my energy, Kas.Let’s go," she whines,

gently pull James’s hands away from his

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

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 muscle

repairing tissue that I tore in half.I feel someone gently

energy to their touch, intense but familiar and

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

but I can’t place

Iokaste, except for Delilah’s

sound so familiar?

the doorway into the dark room, making it

where are we?" I ask

visitors," her tone is full

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

bright light from the doorway.I try to

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

try to focus to slow time down

women in time, I can escape out the door and no one gets hurt.I try to focus,

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

a minute? Is that who I think it

her outline becomes more clear with Lenora’s strong features

"No,

on the floor in front of the cot.I

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 makes her look older than she