Forever in the Past and Forever in the Future

Chapter 23

Kas's POV

I peek in through the little window of the hospital room.I can see James hooked up to machines, sleeping peacefully.

A strong pang of guilt courses through me when I see there are bandages around his neck.

Delilah is curled up in the chair that’s pulled up to the side of the bed.

She is holding his hand through the railing of the bed.

"You can’t talk to her from the hallway, Kas,"

Bronx whispers in my ear from behind me, "I'll wait here until you're ready.Just mind link me."

I nod, then take a deep breath.I quietly open the door and step inside the room.I close it behind me and take a step into the room.

Delilah's breath hitches in her sleep, but she doesn’t wake up.I take slow deliberate steps until I am next to the chair.I squat down and put my hand on her forearm.

"Delilah?" I whisper, "Wake up, please."

Her brow furrows as her eyes flutter open.Her deep sapphire blue eyes take a moment for her to recognize my face, but when she does, they immediately turn royal blue.She gasps and throws her arms tightly around me.

"Kas," she sobs in a loud whisper, "I was so worried about you! Are you okay?"

"Oh, Delilah, I’m fine now.I-I’m so sorry.I don’t know what came over me.You know I would never do this on purpose, right?"

I finally stop trying to hold back my tears.

This is my best friend.I can be myself with her, "I thought you would hate me.I didn’t think you would want to see me."

She pulls me back from her embrace and holds me by the shoulders with her long, spindly fingers.

Her eyes and nose are red and puffy from crying, but she looks relieved that I am there, "Kas, I could never hate you.Never.I know whatever happened must have been an accident.This is not you.Whatever happened yesterday, that was not you.I’m sure of it."

I breathe the enormous sigh as I feel the vice around my heart loosen just a little.I will never understand the mind of a pacifist, but I am grateful at this moment that my best friend is one.

"Delilah, when James wakes up, we can talk more about what happened, but I have a couple of questions.Bronx needs information that could be related to my kidnapping or maybe one of my past lives."

"I will help in any way I can.What do you need to know?" She looks at me attentively.

gray or dark magic that can manipulate a person’s mind.Bronx thinks she is part of a group called the Feral.Have

to remember anything about either of the names.She finally shakes her head

definitely don’t remember either of those.I can ask my mother when she gets

is coming here?" I feel my eyebrows rise in

me for a low key visit anyway, but with everything going on, yeah.Beta Lenora and I thought it would be for the best for her to be here for a while.I hope you don’t mind," she looks at me apologetically, "We don’t know how she can help exactly, yet, but knowing her, she will have some sort of

fact, Bronx thinks maybe I was influenced by magic and that is what could have caused me to..." my voice trails off as I look over to

looking back at her, "We’re going to figure out what is going on here, Kas.We

to speak to

are hoping his wolf helped heal it overnight.I used some of my healing magic, but we both know it isn’t the same as when you do

do you want to see if you can rouse him? I can step out and get Bronx to give you

see you.I have missed you so much.I have so much to tell you once we wake James

stands up from a chair in the hall and steps

eyes, "Well, how did it go? You're crying

us.The doctor said there is a problem with his vocal

sinking in that no matter how many

will let me finish

mind reader, Baby.You'll just have to ask him and

hear the door

out, "You can

my face, takes my

sitting up in the bed, his short sable hair is ruffed up and his eyes are looking much more alert than I remember from yesterday.He tries to mess with the bandages on his neck, but Delilah steps up and

she convinces him to stop, she sits in the chair

and regards him.He tips his head in return, then holds his hand out

Bronx, then

you're being

my hand.I step up to the bed and take

the bed next to him.I carefully climb up being careful to avoid

hand until he is sure I will not finish whatever it was I was going to say, then he takes both my hands in his and places

heart is completely removed now, "Alright Lex, time to

Kas.Let’s finish what we started," she says

peel back the bandages from around

gashes that are not fully healed and bright red marks in

going to make this right, James," I say, trying to bolster his

nod and closes

hands carefully themselves against his throat and I begin to concentrate.I send as much of my essence as I can into him, blurring the lines of who he is

energy in to

down to the molecular level, making sure there is no sign of infection before I pull myself

eyes and look at him, he looks a