Forever in the Past and Forever in the Future

Chapter 8

“TESSA! AMARI! Where is she? What is the meaning of this?!” I roar as I throw open the door to the office full of monitors. Amari and Jasen jolt up at my outburst. Tessa doesn't seem bothered and continues to look at the monitors.

“She insisted, Katherine. In case Iokaste is dangerous.” Amari holds her hands up.

“What? You said to summon her,” Tessa tries to justify with a growl. She is still looking at the monitor. “Amari, can you and Jasen get the keys to Cora's suite and open it for the omegas so they can prepare it? She will also need your healing assistance later. We have lost Dante in this lifetime,” I request, trying to keep my voice calm.

“Of course, Luna,” the pair say in unison before leaving the room.

“I said summon, not kidnap, and lock her in the Waiting Room!” I snarl at Tessa, who continues to ignore me. Cora stands behind me, looking at us awkwardly.

I look at the monitor. Iokaste sitting in the center of the room with her knees pulled into her chest, contemplating something. She stands up and goes to the door. As soon as she touches it, a magical current courses through her body, throwing her back several feet, and knocking her out cold.

Tessa pushes a button on the desk, “Place her back on the cot please.”

The door opens and Alexandros steps into the room. He gingerly picks Iokaste up and places her on the cot. When he is sure she isn’t waking up, he steps out of the room, slamming the door behind him. As soon as the door is closed, Iokaste sits back up in the cot,looking around, confused. “Oh my Goddess! How long has she been in there?” I hiss at Tessa in disbelief.

“Four days. I summoned her just after you left,” Tessa’s tone is nonchalant.

“She has been in that room, touching that door over and over for four days?” I look at the monitor again. Anger boils in the depths of my soul, “No. You are not doing this to her, Tessa. She is innocent. She hasn't committed any crimes. Get her out of there before she begins to remember. Send her home NOW!” “Katherine, she doesn’t remember. Yesterday, her wolf convinced her to give me one minute to talk, but as soon as I explained I was one of her sisters, she went for the door again,” Tessa shrugs in an uncharacteristic act of defiance.

“I. Said. Now. Tessa,” I growl at her, my voice full of warning, “We will do this the right way. The diplomatic way. She is our sister and we are not damn vigilantes. Imagine the consequences if Bronx finds out. It's only a matter of time before he tears the Earth in half to find her. You may as well kiss this lifetime goodbye.”

“Fine,” she grumbles, crossing her arms and sitting back in the chair with a huff, “but vigilante would be much easier.”

I grab her by the collar and force her out of the chair. “ NOW!”

She throws open the door to the monitoring room and storms off. Cora looks at me, then at the door. She chooses to follow Tessa and hurries out the door.

I sit in the chair Tessa just left and watch the monitors. I zoom one of the cameras in on Iokaste’s sleeping face. She looks so peaceful, betraying the traumatic life we have had to sit back and watch her endure.

After a few minutes, the door to the room swings open. Tessa and Cora stand in the doorway. Cora is holding an ancient goblet.

“Tokaste, wake up,” Tessa calls from the doorway. The sleeping girl doesn’t move. Tessa and Cora both approach her. Cora squats in front of the cot and gently rubs Iokaste’s shoulder.

“Tokaste...Kas...time to wake up,” Tessa says, ina bored, singsong voice with her arms crossed in front of her.

Iokaste opens her eyes and scrambles back on the cot as far away from Cora as she can get. She squints at the bright light coming from the doorway after being in darkness for four days.

“L-Lenora?” she asks, looking at Tessa. Tessa's brows knit, trying to understand who Iokaste is asking for.

“No, I’m not Lenora. Are you thirsty?” Tessa asks, pointing to Cora, who is handing Iokaste the goblet.

“Where am I?” Iokaste asks with a snarl, ignoring Tessa. She looks around the room, trying to find a way to escape. A slight purple aura starts to glow around her body.

Through the darkness, I can see Cora's eyes glow scarlet. She is fighting the urge to fight Iokaste when she sees the visible energy starting to build around her. Cora takes a deep breath to calm herself. She dips her fingers into the goblet and puts them in her mouth, trying to show Iokaste the contents are not dangerous. She tips the goblet toward her again, giving an encouraging look. Iokaste looks at the cup suspiciously. Of course she does. She doesn’t know Cora or Tessa. She has no reason to trust them.

I push the button next to the monitor. “Iokaste, you must drink from the goblet to leave the room. Otherwise, you'll be stuck in there for eternity. None of us want that for you.”

She looks around when she hears my voice through the speakers. She looks at Cora holding out the goblet patiently, then looks back at Tessa.

“D-Do you know Lenora?” she asks Tessa. She still looks confused. Four days in the room have affected her memories, “You look like you could be her twin.” “I don’t know your Lenora but if she is anything like me, she would want you to drink from this cup so you can go home and be with her. I’m sure she misses you very much,” Tessa’s tone softens now that she realizes Iokaste is not a dangerous criminal who deserves to be tortured in the Waiting Room. Cora pretends to take a sip and extends the goblet to her again.

Iokaste takes it from Cora now. Looking at her with caution, she sniffs the cup and takes a deep sip. Cora gently takes the cup back with a smile.

“That’s it,” Tessa smiles, leaning down behind Cora, “Now just lay back and think about home. Think about your mate, Bronx and your friend Lenora. When you wake up, you'll be with them and you won’t even remember this.”

Iokaste’s eyes look sleepy and her shoulders slump. As soon as her body falls back, she fades away until she is gone.

Cora stands up and takes a sip from the goblet, quickly handing it to Tessa. Her form dissipates into thin air. I feel an energy surge behind me and Cora appears behind me in the monitor room.

She sighs as she sits next to me. "Still beautiful."

I smile at her as English comes back to her, "Yes, she is." 1

I look back to the monitor to see Tessa standing in the middle of the room. She walks toward the camera in the corner.

“I’m sorry,” she mind links me before drinking from the cup. She tosses it out the door and fades away to an unknown destination.

Shit.