Page 43 of Catalyst

“Yeah, that’s what you get for messing with villains,” an all-too-familiar voice sneered.

My head snapped toward the sound. Standing a few feet away was my brother. His blond hair was slicked back, and he wore his hero suit. The white material gleamed like fresh frost on a winter morning. He crossed his arms, causing the ice-like armor plates on his chest and arms to clink together. And, as if that wasn’t bad enough, he had company.

Trenton Taylor stood beside my brother with a smug,I’m better than yousmirk. The sunlight reflected off the silver of his suit, making him painful to look at in more ways than one.

I turned to Jace, hoping he’d have something clever to say that would make both our unwelcome guests back off. Instead, he shrank into his seat. The change in Jace was subtle. His shoulders squared, his grin fading. I didn’t like it.

Luckily, Kane wasn’t nearly as fazed by their presence.

“Looks like you’ve both got something to say,” he challenged, seeming not at all threatened by them. “So say it and get lost.”

The air around Jack began to frost over, wisps of white mist curling up from his boots. I scooted closer to Jace.

“Of course, I have something to say! My little sister is parading around with villains,” Jack scoffed.

Kane’s eyes widened as he looked between Jack and me, but his surprise quickly morphed into a smirk.

“So, you’re the douchebag Sulien used to complain about all the time,” Kane snorted.

Jack’s brow furrowed as he stared at Kane. “Douchebag or not, that’s my sister.”

A layer of frost began to creep out from under Jack’s boots, and I let out a startled yelp, pulling my feet up into my chair to avoid the spreading ice.

“You’re making a bigger mess,Calista.” Jack spat my name like it left a foul taste in his mouth.

“I amnot.” I argued. “They kicked me out! Jace and Kane actually want me around.”

“Just agree to go on a few dates with Trent and come home!” Jack rolled his eyes before crossing his arms. “Mom and Dad are worried sick.”

A knot formed in my stomach, and I had to remind myself that if they really cared, they’d have actually checked on me. But before I could say anything, Jace finally spoke up.

“Your family wants her–” he pointed to me “–to hook up with him?” He pointed to Trenton.

“Don’t say it like that,villain.” Jack’s eyes narrowed. “What our family does with my sister is none of your concern.”

Jace let out a hollow laugh as he crossed his arms.

“Oh, it’s very much my business,” he said, eyes fixed on Trent. “You’re trying to take my girl and pair her up with someone who lacks the proper…” His gaze flicked downward to Trent’s crotch before meeting his eyes again. “Equipmentto keep her satisfied, let alone happy. Also—let’s be clear: if anyone here is the villain, it’s you two.”

Slowly, I turned to face Jace. How did he know Trent?

“How do you figure, whore?” Trenton finally spoke up, and the disdain in his voice made me feel physically sick.

I hated everything about this situation. I hated that I’d had to drop out of school, that my mom had barely acknowledged me in her office, and now that these two idiots were crashing my date.

I was so angry that I’d started tuning out the actual conversation around me. But I started paying attention when I noticed Kane standing up. In one swift motion, he grabbedJack by the collar and dragged him into the shaded area of the patio. The second Jack crossed into the shadows, they seemed to ripple, reaching up to coil around his legs.

The black shadows popped against the white of Jack’s suit as he struggled to free himself. But the more he moved, the higher the shadows climbed.

“I don’t know who the hell you think you are, butneitherof you has any right to bother my family,” Kane growled.

A strange flutter of warmth filled my chest at the way he saidmy family, but the shadows creeping up Jack’s body ruined the moment. I forgot how to breathe when they wrapped around his neck.

Jace’s face turned grey and his lips blue. Trent’s arrogant smirk had been replaced with pure panic as his skin took on a metallic sheen that matched his suit. He reached out to help Jack, but the second he touched him, the shadows began wrapping around him, too.

A wave of dizziness hit me as I realized I was about to watch Kane kill someone—not just anyone, but my brother.

“Kane. Stop.” My voice shook, betraying the anxiety I tried to hide.

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