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.

woman named Cora? Probably a witch or at least someone who can perform gray or dark magic that can manipulate a person’s mind.Bronx thinks she is part of a group called

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

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

here?" I feel my eyebrows

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

maybe I was influenced by magic and that is what could have caused me to..." my voice trails

to pull my chin so I am looking back at her, "We’re going to figure out

at her and nod, "Delilah, Bronx and I would like to speak to James.D-Do you think he is

little trouble with his voice.The doctor said something about his vocal chords.We are hoping his wolf helped heal it overnight.I used some of my healing magic, but we both know it isn’t the

see if you can rouse him? I can step out

have so much to tell you once we wake James up." I give Delilah a

chair in the hall and steps up

go? You're crying and smiling.I don’t know what to

sure he is okay speaking with us.The doctor said there is a problem with his vocal chords, so we don’t know

no matter how many people try to reassure

you think he will

not a mind reader, Baby.You'll just have to ask him and find out," he rubs

hear the

peeks her head out, "You

on my face, takes my hand, and leads me into the

eyes are looking much more alert than I remember from yesterday.He tries to mess with the bandages on

to stop, she sits in the chair next to

his head in return, then holds his

Bronx, then back at James,

you're

lets go of my hand.I step up

climb up being careful to avoid the wires they hooked

-" he covers my mouth with his 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 my palms on his neck.He nods and closes his eyes, showing he

removed now, "Alright Lex,

Kas.Let’s finish what we started,"

carefully peel back the bandages from around James’s

marks in the areas that were healed.You can see clearly defined scars developing on

to make this right, James,"

gives a quick nod

of my essence as I can into him, blurring the lines of who he is and who I am.I manipulate the muscles and tissue to

in to help

see down to the molecular level, making sure there is no sign of infection

eyes and look at him, he looks