Read Catalyst (A Grace Murphy Novella) for Free Online Page A

I replied defensively.
    "Shall we take you to be made up?"
    I cast my eyes down at the floor, looking anywhere but at him. I could feel the tips of my ears heat up from my blush. "I'm too old. I've already checked."
    A bark of laughter was the response I got and I turned and beelined to my bedroom before he could say anything else to intensify my embarrassment.
    "Tomorrow we hit Futuristic Land. Cool?" I hollered into the main room. Dylan's room was on the other side of the sitting room and he had his French doors open. Typical teenager, they listened to every single thing that they weren't supposed to, used that stolen knowledge against you at the first inconvenient opportunity, and never heard when they were supposed to be listening.
    "Sure," he called back.
    "That's fine with me too," Heph joined in.
    I rolled my eyes and started folding the booty from the day.  I'd picked up a few pairs of pajamas and some hoodies and t-shirts for both Dylan and myself.  "I'm going to—"
    My sentence was cut off by the swoosh of an envelope being slid beneath my door.  I cocked my head in curiosity and headed over to the doorway to find out what it was.  The final checkout bill wasn't supposed to be delivered until our last day. Nothing else was expected.
    I bent over and looked at the plain vellum with my name scrawled across the top.  Old Grace would have immediately picked it up and ripped open the seal.  New Grace knew better than to pick up unexpected packages.
    I unconsciously rubbed my wrist where one of my mother's lessons had left me with a rash that lasted a month.
    "Heph?"
    "Yes, Grace?"
    "Were you expecting any deliveries?"
    "Not that I can remember. Why?"
    "An envelope was just slid under my door."
    "So, read what's inside."
    "Not after what Diana did to me."
    I heard a sigh come from the sitting room and his heavy tread as he joined me. "So do you sense anything from it?"
    "I'm sorry, those powers haven't come online. What kind of things should I sense?"
    I was being flippant, but he answered me seriously. "Well, you can determine any magical traces by sensing for any lingering power residue coming from the paper. It looks like a regular envelope. No spells that I know of attached."
    "Oh."
    I picked up the envelope and slid a fingernail under the flap to break the seal.  A single sheet of paper lay inside.  Dropping the envelope on the table I unfolded the paper and read.
    "I knew it was too quiet," I whispered.
    "What?" he asked taking the paper from my hands.
    After a few moments a quiet, "Interesting."
    "Yeah," I replied quietly – as if the careful reaction would keep things copacetic for just a few more minutes.

Chapter 6
    It's all just a big fat trap… all of it!
     
     
     
     
    "You realize that it's a trap." He flicked his wrist and the page sailed gracefully onto the table top.
    "Of course it's a trap. What else would it be? It's like a bad spy novel plot. The villain invites the dashing hero to a fancy dinner. There will be drinking, dancing, a slinky black dress and then a bad monologue where said bad guy threatens the world.  I've seen the movies. I'm not interested in going to a real life Cos-play."
    I strode to the window and peered out the drapes. The park was still lit up like a Christmas tree and I lost myself in the glow.  I always did like blinky lights.
    "You're not curious about what this could be? You've never wanted to dine at the exclusive restaurant?"
    I turned and rolled my eyes. "Of course I have and I am. But I'm here for the kid's birthday.  I've already gotten into one fight. Isn't that one enough adventure for a vacation?"
    He smirked. "Obviously not."
    "Do you think she's out to finish what she started?" I asked, thinking that my getaway from Medusa had been entirely too easy.
    "Naw. It's not her style.  She's more likely to sneak up on you in a dark alleyway and knife you in the kidneys while you watch in horror as her snakes devour your fingers."
    I shuddered. "I don't know