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 knees hit the ground, Marco throws the apartment door open

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

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

from James to me as

the intruder to reach up, grab me by the shoulders, and throw

out of me as I hit the ground, forcing me to

up to see James grabbing

his fingers as he falls to

the shock of

drops to his

voice isn’t nearly as panicked

he mind links someone, then

What have I done? What have I done? "Kas, don’t just

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

I done?

usually cheerful blue eyes look glassy and far

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

down a sob as he looks to me and slowly blinks.I position myself next to his shoulder, surrounded

James with disbelief

he looks at me and

closes, but nothing

concentrate.We can

which isn’t very calm at all.I wipe my tears away with my sleeve and clear

Kas.Let’s go," she whines,

hands away from his

to pour 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

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

flesh, repairing tissue that I tore in half.I feel someone gently shaking me

to their touch, intense but familiar and

I come out of the darkness

but I

me Iokaste, except for Delilah’s mom, Lady Camille.It definitely isn’t her

this woman sound so

doorway into the dark room, making it

we?" I ask

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

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

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

I can burn her a little, she will

try to focus to

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

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

minute? Is that who

her outline becomes more clear with Lenora’s

"No, I’m not Lenora.Are you

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

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