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.

isn’t he fighting against me? Just as his knees hit the

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

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

wide, darting from James to me

split second of distraction is enough for the intruder to reach up, grab me by the shoulders, and throw me over

wind gets knocked out of me as I hit the ground, forcing me to dislodge my claws from his

up to see James grabbing

is gushing out between his fingers as he falls to the

the shock of

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

as panicked as it

eyes glaze over as he mind links someone, then I

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

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

done? There’s

pale, his usually cheerful blue eyes look glassy

sorry.Can I heal you, please, James? Please! Just blink if it's okay for me to heal

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 into

looks at James with disbelief in his watery

looks at me and shakes his

and closes,

Lex.Let’s concentrate.We can do

her as calmly as I can, which isn’t very calm

Kas.Let’s go," she whines, seeing

gently pull James’s hands away

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

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

I tore in half.I feel someone gently

is an energy to their touch,

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

but I

me Iokaste, except for Delilah’s mom,

does this woman sound so familiar? I slowly

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

we?" I

Kas.You have important visitors," her tone

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

adjust to the bright light from the doorway.I

will back away.I concentrate on my energy,

weird.I try to focus to slow time

I can escape out the door and

way to escape around them, but

a minute? Is that who I think it

outline becomes more clear with Lenora’s

annoyed, "No, I’m not Lenora.Are you

floor in front of the cot.I look more carefully at the woman in front

toward me.Her long chocolate brown hair is in dreadlocks pulled back into a ponytail.She has scarlet irises, red as blood.Her