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

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

but he has both hands in the air

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

for the intruder to reach up, grab me by the shoulders, and throw me over top of him, flat

gets knocked out of me as I hit the ground,

look up to see James grabbing his

gushing out between his fingers as he falls to

claws retract at the shock of seeing James bleeding

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

isn’t nearly as panicked as

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

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

my eyes as I pull myself up.I can’t catch my breath as I crawl next

have I done?

pale, his usually cheerful

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

tears now.I force down a sob as he looks to me and slowly blinks.I position myself

looks at James with disbelief in his watery

at me and shakes his head

closes, but nothing

Lex.Let’s concentrate.We can do

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

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

James’s hands away

like 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 eyes in

away as I focus on saving James’s life.I send my energy out into his body, pulling muscle and

that I tore in half.I feel someone gently shaking me

energy to their touch, intense but familiar and

hit me? As I come out of the darkness

but I

one calls me Iokaste, except for Delilah’s mom,

so familiar? I slowly open my

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

we?"

now, Kas.You have important visitors,"

I'm laying on.I jolt up and push myself as far away from her as I

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

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

try to focus to slow time down

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

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

that who I think

ask as her outline becomes more clear with Lenora’s

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

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

back into a ponytail.She has scarlet