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,

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

holding his pistol, but he has both hands in the

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

second of distraction is enough for the intruder to reach up, grab me by

as I hit the ground, forcing me to dislodge

up to see James grabbing his

fingers as he falls

fangs and claws retract at the shock of

side and drops to his knees,

voice isn’t nearly as panicked

then I watch in horror as Marco consoles his

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

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

I done? There’s so

cheerful blue eyes

I heal you, please, James? Please! Just blink

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

James with disbelief in

me and shakes his

opens and closes, but

Lex.Let’s concentrate.We can

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

she whines, seeing James fading

gently pull James’s hands away from his

squeezing my heart as I see the extent of the damage my claws made.I place my hands over

all fade away as I

in half.I feel someone gently shaking

their

of the darkness of sleep, I can hear a woman calling me, "Iokaste...Kas...Time to

voice, but I can’t place

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

this woman sound so familiar?

light is shining through the doorway into the dark

we?" I ask

now, Kas.You have important visitors,"

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

the doorway.I try to

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

weird.I try to focus to slow time down

these two women in time, I can escape out the door

is a way to escape around

Is that who I

as her outline becomes more clear

"No, I’m not Lenora.Are

front

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