(Backstory) Long ago, King Dagda of the Danu Fae divided his power evenly among his five heirs, inadvertently giving rise to a segregated society comprising five faery kingdoms. Concurrently, he created a portal system that connected the realms of planet Danu to Earth. This pivotal act, referred to as "Dagda's Curse," bound the survival of the Danu Fae and the vitality of their magic to the well-being of planet Earth. An exclusive cadre of faeries, recognized as Catalysts, regularly journey to Earth through the portals with the aim of influencing human activity and thwarting further harm to the planet. Should the Catalysts fail in their mission to prevent additional damage, the potency of faery magic diminishes.

 

    The Catalyst, the second installment in a captivating four-book series, continues the enchanting coming-of-age and romantic journey centered around the eighteen-year-old heroine, Penelope "Penny" Flint. This time, the narrative unfolds through the perspectives of five pivotal characters: Penny, Eli, Faith, Tera, and the enigmatic Voidian Prince. As these characters grapple with the repercussions of their decisions from the first book, they confront their fears, pursue ambitions, and unravel new secrets. Amidst these complexities, only a select few among the Danu Fae become privy to Penny's complete lineage, affectionately dubbing her "Dagda's Heir."

 

    The story commences with Penny reuniting with her sister, Clare. Though relieved by her sister's return, Clare harbors anger towards Penny for her unexplained disappearance. Initially skeptical of Penny's accounts of the faery world, tensions escalate during their argument on the way home. A mysterious incident unfolds as Penny's bicycle inexplicably crashes in the same pothole by an abandoned lot where she had crashed in the first book. Eli, recognizing the significance, investigates with Penny and discovers a concealed Elm tree portal deep within the vacant lot. Apprehensive about its origin and destination, Eli cautions Penny about the potential dangers. They decide to temporarily leave it undisturbed, adding it to their growing list of enigmas that demand unraveling.

 

    Accompanied by Eli and Clare, Penny courageously confronts her aunt for the long-awaited truth. Aunt Flora unravels the reasons behind her departure from Danu—a desperate escape from their power-hungry mother, the Earth Faery Queen, and a quest to locate Eli's missing father.

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    Baffled and concerned, Aunt Flora grapples with the mystery surrounding Penny's newfound amulet. While she lacks an explanation for the mystery in the girls' lineage, Flora is certain it is connected to their father. Seeking clarity, Aunt Flora leads Penny, Clare, and Eli to consult with a close family friend, Al. Though the girls have known Al as a local bike shop owner for years, they are taken aback to discover his identity as an exiled air faery. Eli, in a surprising revelation, learns that Al is his uncle. Further complicating matters, Al discloses to Eli that his father was adopted after being found as an abandoned baby. This revelation shakes Eli to his core, prompting him to grapple with the realization of hidden secrets and deceptions within his family.

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    After resolving loose ends from high school, Penny, now armed with a new amulet from the Fountain of Light (book 1), must return to Danu with Eli. Tasked with becoming a Catalyst and residing among the Danu Fae for life, she also shoulders the responsibility of fulfilling her role as the Earth Faery Princess. The journey proves exceptionally challenging and draining for Penny as she grapples with the intricacies of being both a princess and a Catalyst. Being mixed-blooded, her unique faery magic presents a steep learning curve, with few mentors available to guide her. Despite numerous setbacks in her magical education, Penny gains valuable insights from her grandmother, the queen, who shares her mixed-blooded faery heritage. As Penny navigates the faery world, she simultaneously endeavors to unearth the truth about her parents, family lineage, and purpose. The most perplexing puzzle revolves around her new amulet, adorned with sacred stones representing all five faery kingdoms. A one-of-a-kind heirloom, Penny's amulet signifies her lineage as the descendant of Dagda, inheriting all his magical power—a burden she fears exposing publicly in a world where trust is elusive.

 

    Despite his noble birth, Eli has lived a life of exile as a mixed-blooded faery. Penny, the Earth Faery Princess, is the first mixed-blooded faery he encounters, and he feels an unparalleled connection to her. Determined to help Penny overcome the stigma associated with being mixed-blooded, Eli is temporarily dispatched to search for one of the queen's missing unicorns, causing him to miss the initial week of Penny's education. Upon his return, Eli and Penny forge a clandestine pact to meet in the garden nightly, dedicated to unraveling the mysteries of their mixed-blooded magic. Nights turn into countless hours of practice as Penny learns valuable insights from her grandmother. Eli, increasingly infatuated with Penny, grapples with a persistent fear of the Voidians, whose presence looms large. He struggles with the dilemma of whether to keep Penny's amulet a secret or reveal it to the queen, fearing the potential fallout if he discloses the truth.

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    Faith broke numerous rules in her quest to find Dagda’s Heir, and jeopardized her relationship with Penny by withholding details about the prophecy (book 1). Anxious about potential consequences, Faith worries that her actions might hinder her aspirations to rule the Fire Faery Kingdom. To salvage her reputation, she contemplates exposing Penny's secret, but the implications on the other monarchs' reactions weigh heavily on her. Balancing self-interest and the greater good of the Danu Fae, Faith grapples with a moral dilemma. 

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    Tera, the Earth Faery Catalyst Leader for a decade, takes her responsibilities seriously. Tasked with training Princess Penelope, the queen's heir, as a Catalyst, Tera faces challenges beyond Penny's apparent disregard for authority. Penny’s mixed-blooded heritage poses a significant obstacle to mastering faery magic. Tera, who has no tolerance for rule breakers and is disdainful of entitled noble-born fae, finds herself burdened by the daunting task.

    Meanwhile, the Voidian Prince observes Dagda's Heir from a distance, aware that his fate is entwined with Penny's. Exercising patience, he refrains from intervening, hopeful that Penny's magical development will eventually align with their side of the war.

    

    Queen Ida of the Earth Faeries begins to use her authoritative power to challenge faery tradition. She insists that Penny accompany her to the Eldarwood Table for the council of leaders. This decision sparks fury in Tera because Penny is neither the royal representative nor the Catalyst Leader. During the meeting, Penny encounters ruling monarchs and Catalyst Leaders from the other four kingdoms. She can't help but notice the power-hungry and tyrannical dispositions of the monarchs, which sharply contrast with many of the Catalyst Leaders.

 

    Among the faeries at the table, the Spirit faeries, known for their terrifying presence, stand out. Penny nervously attempts to control her thoughts as she hears the telepathic voice of the Spirit Faery King entering her mind. Aquillo, the Air Faery Catalyst Leader, raises a concern about a developing problem on planet Earth that could have catastrophic consequences in the future.

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    Mistrust permeates the group as they argue about how to approach the problem and decide who should undertake the mission to Earth. The Earth Faery Queen, asserting her influence, insists that Penny join the mission with the Catalyst Leaders. Although Tera is infuriated by the added responsibility of protecting a novice like Penny on a dangerous mission, she must set aside her grievances to ensure the survival of everyone involved.

 

    Just before departing for the Catalyst mission, Penny and Eli share a brief, intimate moment culminating in a kiss. However, Penny is uncertain about reciprocating the same feelings for Eli, creating an awkward tension between them. Their moment of connection is abruptly interrupted by Tera, who needs to provide Penny with a crash course in understanding silver dust.

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    Tera explains that silver dust is an incredibly valuable and dangerous substance. The Danu Fae have harnessed its power for medicinal purposes, while the Catalysts use it on humans to induce forgetfulness when they encounter faeries. However, a direct hit of pure silver dust can prove fatal to a faery's mind and magic. The Earth Faery Kingdom bears the responsibility of storing all the silver dust and distributing rations to the other kingdoms.

 

    Penny embarks on a mission to dismantle a science laboratory alongside several Catalyst leaders, including Tera and Faith, as well as Aquillo of the air faeries and Hydra of the water faeries. Upon reaching their target destination, the Catalyst team faces an unexpected ambush by a small group of Voidians. Caught off guard, they are compelled to fight for their lives and abandon their original mission.

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    In a one-on-one showdown, each Catalyst confronts a Voidian, marking the first time Penny must wield her magic in combat. As she engages in battle with her assigned Voidian attacker, she recognizes him as the same one who assaulted her at the Fountain of Light. This time, however, he appears determined to face her in combat. Fueled by adrenaline, Penny manages to thwart the Voidian long enough to escape. Instead of adhering to orders and returning to the portal tree, Penny deviates to assist Faith, who sustained a near-fatal hit. Tera also intervenes to help. Quietly, all three girls find themselves trapped with no apparent means of escaping their Voidian attackers.

 

    Faith understands that their best chance of escape lies in combining their fire magic. Although Tera, unaware of Penny's full magical lineage, is initially puzzled by the suggestion, her clever instincts lead her to interpret Faith's implication. It becomes evident that Penny has been keeping secrets about her magic, leaving her terrified that Faith has revealed the truth to Tera. Before Penny can react, Faith and Penny swiftly collaborate, conjuring a fiery mass of photons directed at the Voidians. However, the Voidians unexpectedly reflect the attack, causing the plan to backfire dramatically.

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    Engulfed in a fiery explosion, Tera, Faith, and Penny find themselves with no apparent way out. To extinguish the flames, Hydra throws an enormous mass of snow, creating a distraction that allows the Voidians to slip away unscathed. As Penny and Faith emerge from the chaos, they discover Tera in a state of disarray. Within seconds, the girls realize that in the midst of the battle, Tera was hit with silver dust, leaving her mind and magic completely gone.

 

    Plagued by a guilty conscience, Penny bears the weight of responsibility for Tera's demise. She can't shake the feeling that if she had followed orders, they wouldn't have been trapped in the first place. As they rush Tera to healers in the Old Oak Grove, Penny reflects on her past few weeks among the Danu Fae. Overwhelmed by misery and a sense of failure, she yearns for the comfort and solace of her sister at home. Driven by the desire to escape Danu, even if only for a few moments, Penny makes the decision to run away to Earth.

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    On her way home, however, her bicycle crashes in the same place as before. This time, a trail of wisps appears, leading Penny to the Elm tree portal. Although neither Faith, Eli, nor Penny had learned anything about this mysterious portal, Penny understands that wisps are impossible to avoid as they guide you to your fate. Against the better judgment of her friends, Penny decides to go through the portal.