Catty Turner Quotes

“I really like you." He spoke softly and the words floated around her in a dreamy way. "More than I've ever liked anyone and if you knew everything about me, you'd know that means a lot."
She started to ask him to explain, but before she could he bent down. She thought he was going to kiss her, but he let his lips tease, hovering inches from hers. Their breath mingled. When his lips finally touched hers, a pleasant shock went through her.
All the worries that had been building inside her seemed to vanish and there was only Chris and the sensations of her body. She had imagined so often what it must feel like to kiss a guy, but even in her wildest fantasies a kiss had never felt as good as the ones Chris gave her.
When he pulled back, she opened her eyes quickly and caught a look of intense longing in his eyes, and then it was gone. Was it only her imagination?
"Chris..." She started to ask him what was bothering him, but he closed her mouth with another kiss.”
― Lynne Ewing, The Secret Scroll

“Don't you ever want to be alone sometimes?"
"Sure." He stepped around the counter and stopped close to her. She glanced up and saw herself reflected in his pupils. His fingers played on her shoulders.
'I'd like to be alone with you," he whispered slowly. "We could stay here and watch videos." His hands smoothed down her arms and then he held both of her hands. He didn't seem to mind that they were dirty.
"That's not what I had in mind," she answered.
"But I don't want you to miss the party." His words rustled across her right ear. He took one more step and this time he was close enough to kiss her. His thigh rubbed against hers. She shivered with pleasure.
"Please come." The word fell on her ears like a caress and he looked at her in a dreamy sort of way that made her feel giddy. "Come to the party with me, Catty."
He leaned over and traced one finger gently over her chin and down her throat. She leaned back and let him kiss her.
"Come to the party," he said between his kisses.”
― Lynne Ewing, The Secret Scroll

“All these years I thought I had been protecting a space alien from the government." She laughed and it was dry and filled with sadness. "And now I find out that I've been protecting something evil."
Catty started shaking. "What did you read?"
Kendra looked down at the manuscript. Her finger ran across a line as she translated it. "The child of a fallen goddess and an evil spirit will take possession of the Secret Scroll without fear of its curse."
"You think that's me?" Catty asked nervously. Could she be the daughter of a fallen goddess and an evil spirit?”
― Lynne Ewing, The Secret Scroll

“In ancient times when Pandora's box was opened-"
"Pandora?" Kendra interrupted. "Are you talking about the myth?"
Catty nodded solemnly. "It isn't a myth," she stated firmly and continued, "The last thing to leave the box was hope. Only Selene, the goddess of the moon, saw the creature that had been sent by the Atrox to devour hope. Selene took pity on the people of earth and gave her Daughters, like guardian angels, to perpetuate hope. I'm one of those Daughters. A goddess.”
― Lynne Ewing, The Secret Scroll

“I feared that you were the destined heir to the Secret Scroll because of the prophecy."
"What prophecy?" Catty hated the tremor that had crept into her voice.
"Only the child of a fallen goddess and an evil spirit will inherit the Scroll, Zoe recited.
Catty's heart sunk. Her mother was a Follower, her father an evil member of the Inner Circle. She suddenly felt damned. How could she overcome such a birthright?
Zoe took Catty's hand. "You must never worry that you are evil because of your heritage. The manuscript can only be given to someone with a pure heart and the strength to fight the Atrox.”
― Lynne Ewing, The Secret Scroll

“That's when she noticed that Serena, Jimena, and Vanessa each wore matching silver charms.
Corrine caught what she was staring at.
"They never take them off," she whispered. "Not in P.E., not for dances. Never. They had another friend, Catty, who wore the same amulet, but she's gone now. Someday when we're alone, I'll tell you what happened to her."
Tianna looked at the face of the moon etched in the metal on the charms. Sparkling in the morning light, the charms didn't seem silver but more like a strange stone that reflected a rainbow of colors.”
― Lynne Ewing, The Lost One

“From the beginning, Kendra had assumed that Catty was from some distant planet and that her extraordinary power was actually a form of teleportation used by her people. She had cautioned Catty not to tell anyone about her unusual skill. And Catty hadn't until she met Vanessa. She had known immediately that Vanessa was different, too, when she saw the silver moon amulet hanging around her neck. It was identical to the one Catty wore. Catty looked down at her amulet now and studied the face of the moon etched in the metal. She had been wearing the charm when Kendra found her. Now, sparkling in the fluorescent lights, it didn't look silver, but opalescent. She never took it off.
Kendra turned and glanced at her, her eyes asking if she was okay. Catty tried to smile back, but her lips curled in a sad imitation of one.
She wished she could find the courage to tell Kendra the truth. She hated keeping any secret from her. But the words never came. It was probably easier to believe in people from outer space than to accept what Catty really was, anyway. She sometimes thought Kendra would feel disappointed if she learned the truth. Kendra was always on the Internet trying to find out more about UFO sightings, Area 51, and Roswell. She seemed to enjoy the research.
Catty studied Kendra now. Her cheeks had taken on an angry red blush and her fingers frantically worked at the beads hanging around her neck. Would Kendra even believe her if she did tell her the truth... that she was a goddess, a Daughter of the Moon, on Earth to protect people from the Followers of an ancient evil called the Atrox.”
― Lynne Ewing, The Secret Scroll

“You remember the day I picked you up at the side of the highway?" Kendra began and looked at Catty.
Catty nodded.
"You were such a precious little thing I couldn't imagine anyone abandoning you. I asked you your name, and you didn't seem to understand."
Catty recalled the moment. She had been unable to remember her name. Like everything that had occurred in her life before that day, she had no memory of it. She didn't even know if she had ever had one.
"When you didn't answer," Kendra continued, "I told you that you were as cute as a cat. That made you giggle, so I decided to call you Catty. You seemed to like the name."
Catty grinned. She did like the name.
Kendra smiled tenderly. "It was a good choice. It fits your personality.”
― Lynne Ewing, The Secret Scroll

“Who's your friend?" Zoe asked Stanton. She glanced at Catty's moon amulet and then her eyes bore into Catty's.
"Zoe," Stanton said. "I want you to meet your daughter."
Zoe glanced at Stanton in disbelief, then stared at Catty in openmouthed wonder. Her hand reached out and caressed Catty's cheek, touched her lips, and smoothed back her hair. "I see your father in your face," she uttered more to herself than to Catty. Then a slight smile crossed her lips. "I give you away and you return to me the same day. At least I know you do make it safely into the future." She started to embrace Catty.”
― Lynne Ewing, The Secret Scroll

“Why aren't you afraid of the curse?"
He smiled bitterly. "Because I am already cursed."
The words chilled her. She almost felt sorry for him.
"My offer stands," he whispered and then he dissolved into shadow.
She stood in the darkness and wondered why he so desperately wanted the manuscript if not to give it to the Atrox. Still he didn't seem as bad as she had once thought. She could almost understand why Serena liked him so much.”
― Lynne Ewing, The Secret Scroll

“When they finished dressing, Jimena wore racy red hot pants, a silky blouse with a star-burst pattern, and crazy ankle boots with thin chains draped around her ankles.
"Too cool." Serena admired Jimena's outfit, then she twirled to show off her own shoulder-baring top that exposed her midriff. She had pasted a crystal in her belly button. Kendra's bell-bottoms had been too long, but when she stepped into a pair of gold 70's platform shoes the length became just right.
Catty wore a backless halter top and a pair of lacy bell-bottoms. She held up some stencils. "Kendra is going to start selling these at the shop. Anyone want to try one?" She had two dragons in one hand and a lacy snowflake pattern in the other.
Jimena and Serena started to examine them, when Vanessa walked into the room. She was wearing a pinstripe shirt unbuttoned over a black leather bra top. Kendra's mini-skirt was too big and the waist fell around Vanessa's hips. Her skin looked golden bronze and she had applied one of the snowflake stencils on her stomach.
"Wow," Serena said.
"Talk about going for the jugular," Jimena teased.
"You like it?" she asked and took off the shirt. "It's too hot to wear.”
― Lynne Ewing, The Secret Scroll

“It's strange," she started.
"What?" Catty asked.
"Just that you've never followed the rules before," the woman explained. "And so now I'm wondering, why are you going to follow them when you are dealing with the most deceitful being in creation?"
Catty watched the woman leave. What she said was true. Catty hated rules.
A slow smile crept across her face.
"Thank you," Catty said. First she'd sleep, and then she'd act.”
― Lynne Ewing, The Secret Scroll

“She took down the framed manuscript from the kitchen wall. It was Kendra's prized possession, and part of her felt guilty for what she planned, but it had to be done. She carefully removed the parchment from its frame, then searched through the piles of translations and notes on the kitchen table. Finally she found the Secret Scroll on the chair where Kendra had been the night before. She carried both manuscripts upstairs and set them on her desk.
Next she gathered paints and brushes and sat down. She studied the artwork on the Secret Scroll, then slowly began copying its rich patterns of gold, red, and blue onto Kendra's old manuscript.
It was late afternoon when she finished. She studied her work. She had managed to copy the exotic birds and animals hidden in the foliage on the borders, and even the detailed picture of the goddess locking the jaws of hell. Her work was rough, but at a distance it would fool Toby or any of the Regulators, especially since they were afraid to touch it.
Satisfied, she went to her closet. She searched through her clothes until she found the strapless top with the slit in the front. She slipped it over her head, then grabbed a silky black skirt and stepped into it. She carried her stiletto boots to the bed and tugged them on.
At last she drew black liquid eyeliner over her top lid, added green glitter shadow, rolled thick mascara on her lashes, and brushed her hair. She added gloss to her lips and rubbed sparkle lotion over her arms and chest. Then she remembered the dragon stencils. Soon, she had a sinuous dragon adorning her thigh between the bottom of her skirt and the top of her boots. She liked the look. She turned in front of the full-length mirror behind the bathroom door.
"Dynamite," she whispered. Her reflection thrilled her. She looked vamped-out and mystical. At once, she sensed the fierce power of the dragon rising in her. She felt like an invincible goddess-warrior.”
― Lynne Ewing, The Secret Scroll

“Then he saw Catty. He hadn't recognized her at first. She had painted her face white for the day and drawn black caverns around her eyes. Squares over her lips made skeleton teeth.
Children circled her, watching her paint a little girl's face.”
― Lynne Ewing, The Sacrifice

“You'll look like a scary calavera now," Catty assured the young girl as she leaned back to admire the skeleton skull she had made on her face.
"Who's next?" Catty asked and pulled out another paintbrush.
Four hands shot up, but one little girl eased into the chair in front of Catty before she had a chance to choose. "My turn," she said.
Catty smiled and began smudging white over the girl's rosy cheeks.”
― Lynne Ewing, The Sacrifice

“The four Daughters stood together, their moon amulets glistening. Seen through a veil of fog, they appeared spectral.
"Goddesses," Lambert whispered, his eyes afire. "You look ravishing. I'm not sure which one of you I will destroy tonight."
"No chance," Catty answered with a wicked grin. Her eyes dilated as if energy were building inside her.”
― Lynne Ewing, The Sacrifice

“Jimena stopped in front of a locker near a floor-length mirror.
"This one was Catty's," she said softly.
A watercolor painting of the full moon rising over an ocean was taped to the front. A beautiful woman hovered behind the moon, her purple robe billowing into the starry sky behind her. The image was haunting.
"Did she do the painting?" Tianna asked. "It's really pretty."
Jimena nodded. "She was a good artist.”
― Lynne Ewing, The Lost One

“1249 A.D.

The Keeper pulled the illuminated manuscript from its hiding place and spread it on the stone hearth. The golden border caught the fire's light, and its reflection looked like an eye flashing open. At once the illusion vanished, but something else caught the Keeper's attention, and the shock of it took his breath away. Within the enlarged first letter, the miniature of the goddess unlocking the jaws of hell had changed; her beauty was gone, replaced by the cruel gaze of a Follower. Was this another change the Scroll had wrought upon itself, or had someone tampered with its magic again?
The Keeper dipped his paintbrush in brown pigment and began drawing a tree on the parchment, curving its limbs over and around the calligraphy until the words were hidden in a maze of twisting branches. For centuries he had devoted himself to uncovering this forbidden knowledge, and now he had assumed the duty of protecting it. He wished he could follow the Path, but the Prophecy was clear; only the child of a fallen goddess and an evil spirit could follow the steps without fear of the Scroll's curse.
Many had died trying to use its magic, but that wasn't the reason the Keeper now kept it hidden, denying its existence. A dangerous transformation had taken place. The Scroll had somehow come to life, as if the words written on the parchment had infused it with an instinct for survival. He could feel it now, alert and suspicious beneath his fingers.
When it was no longer watching him, he dropped his brush, grabbed a reed pin, dipped it into the glutinous black ink, and wrote one final instruction on the last page. His deception awakened whatever lived within the manuscript. Intense light shot through him with deadly force, binding his existence to that of the Secret Scroll for all time.”
― Lynne Ewing, The Prophecy

“A glint of gold caught her eye. The Scroll lay before her. She admired the detailed artwork on the borders, in which exotic beasts and birds with long feathers hid in twisting branches.
She picked up the manuscript. The parchment pulsed beneath her touch as if she had awakened it. She dropped it and stepped back, rubbing her fingers on her jeans to rid herself of the unpleasant sensation that the parchment had recognized her. She didn't recall having had such a feeling before. Perhaps Gerard de Molaire, the sorcerer who had hidden a spell within the Scroll, had channeled some kind of sinister energy into it. But then another thought came to her. Chris had given her the manuscript before, and maybe he had controlled it then.”
― Lynne Ewing, The Prophecy

“Vanessa.” Catty waved, then ran toward her, her arm extended to keep her coffee from spilling. She wore a see-through green top over a polka-dot bra and hip-hugging jeans that showed off the hoop piercing her belly button. When she got closer, Vanessa saw the blue stains on her wrist and thumb, and knew she’d been up late painting.
“I’m so glad I found you first.” Catty’s straight brown hair glimmered with coppery streaks. Her face had a natural glow. “You’ll never guess what!”
“Tell me.”
“The art department is entering one of my paintings in the school-district competition.” Catty took a sip of coffee, her eyes watching Vanessa over the rim.
“That’s great! Which one?” Vanessa asked.
“You haven’t seen it yet.”
“I haven’t?” Vanessa was surprised. “I thought I’d seen everything.”
“I used Tianna for my model this time,” Catty explained.
“Oh.” Vanessa could feel her smile slipping from her lips. “Why didn’t you ask me?” Vanessa posed for Catty all the time. The goddesses in her paintings always resembled Vanessa.
“You were busy with Michael.” Catty pulled yellow-tinted sunglasses from her messenger bag and slid them on.
“It’s all right,” Vanessa said, feeling hurt.”
― Lynne Ewing, Moon Demon

“See the fish? That means good fortune, especially on the rim. Blessings are swimming your way.”
Vanessa smiled.
“Dip your finger in the grounds, then suck them off your finger to seal your fate,” Kendra told her.
Vanessa did, and Kendra looked inside Jimena’s cup.
“Birds.” Kendra laughed. “Of course, there would be lots of birds for Jimena, because she receives omens. You see the future clearly, but sometimes you don’t believe in the power you have.”
Jimena leaned forward. “I see the birds. Pájaros flying all over the cup.”
Next Kendra glanced at Catty, then studied the brown zigzag design inside her cup. “A road.” She sighed. “Travel, of course, and specifically time traveling. The road moves back and forth over the bottom of the cup, which represents the past, and up to the top, which stands for the future. Catty will be taking innumerable trips.”
― Lynne Ewing, Possession

“We were so worried about you,” Vanessa said when Jimena finally joined them. She was vamped-out in a lavender bustier, her arabesque tattoo luminescent. She had extended the design with makeup over her chest and spiked her soft curls with strands of purple.
“We weren’t sure what to do, so we came here and hoped you’d show up.” Catty hugged her. Her makeup gave her a sassy look. She wore an off-the-shoulder T with iridescent pants. Shocks of hot pink flashed in her hair and down her bare arm in body-paint swirls.”
― Lynne Ewing, The Choice

“Vanessa was parked at the curb in her 1965 red Mustang convertible, her hair frosted with silver streaks. Catty slid into the front seat.
“Ready?” Vanessa asked. She wore a bell-sleeved sweater and matching purple mascara.
“Let me borrow your makeup.” Catty reached for Vanessa’s purse from the back and pulled out the makeup bag. “If we’re caught tonight, I want to look good for my mug shot.”
Vanessa laughed, her tense mood broken, and she pulled away from the curb as Catty swept electric-blue liner over her lids.
“I just burned a new CD.” Vanessa punched a button on her newly installed stereo, and guitar music roared into the night. Vanessa’s voice flowed from the speakers, a magical blend of rock and soul.
“That’s really good,” Catty said, complimenting her, and she spread red gloss over her lips. She turned to face Vanessa. “What do you think?”
“You look like a vamp and totally smoochable.”
― Lynne Ewing, The Prophecy

“This will soothe you," the waitress said. She tipped the kettle, and steam rose from the spout, curling around Catty with the delicate fragrance of jasmine tea.
"Thank you," Catty said, her voice breaking; the woman's kindness made her want to cry again.
"Animis non astutia," the woman whispered.
Catty's head shot up. "Did you just speak Latin?"
"Did I?" The woman set an array of food and sauces on the table.
Catty nodded, certain of what she had heard. "You said, 'By courage, not by cunning.'"
The waitress shrugged. "It sounds like good advice for anyone who wants to triumph over impossible odds."
Then she handed Catty a single fortune cookie on a silver plate with the changing shapes of the moon engraved on its border.
"Don't forget to read your fortune," she said and took her tray to a nearby table to clear the dirty dishes there.”
― Lynne Ewing, The Prophecy

“She sighed, disconsolate, feeling utterly abandoned, but then she remembered the waitress from the Summer Moon Tea Room.
She yanked the Scroll back from her father and pulled the fortune from her pocket.
She read it out loud, “The moonlight is reflected from the beauty within you.”
Hope surged through her, and she knew what she had to do. Her powers might not work here, but nothing could stop the strength of the moon; its luminescence glowed inside her and through her.”
― Lynne Ewing, The Prophecy

“Suddenly, she sensed that the darkness from her father and the Scroll were only unexplored strengths that she had to learn to integrate into her own. She no longer feared the dark.
As the Scroll’s energy continued to throb inside her, she sensed her father’s fear and knew that he understood her new, terrifying role of annihilating evil. She symbolized the absolute force of the divine, her power uncompromising and direct. She was the destroyer.”
― Lynne Ewing, The Prophecy

“Chris was fading, his image flickering in the breeze, a suggestion of the person he had been centuries back seeming to eclipse the person he had become.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
But he didn’t seem angry: he stared at her as if seeing her for the first time, his eyes full of gratitude. “You’re the embodiment of the Scroll now, Catty,” he said reverentially. “My job is complete. No heir before you has had the courage to do what you did. The Prophecy has been fulfilled.”
― Lynne Ewing, The Prophecy

“Kyle seemed flustered. “It can never work between us, Catty.”
“Those weren’t exactly the words I had expected to hear you say,” she said, slipping her arms around him.
“Nefandus is my home,” he explained. “So if I try to kiss someone who isn’t from that realm, I’ll absorb her power. It’s a curse the Atrox put on the servi, so that even if we escape we can never find love, because we’ll slowly kill anyone we care to.”
Catty finally understood his hesitation. She brazenly drew him closer. “I’m not scared,” she whispered, her lips brushing against his. “I’ve finally accepted my dark side, the part of me I inherited from my father, so I guess I’m half like you now, maybe more.”
He smiled, then kissed her lightly, testing her theory. When nothing happened, he kissed her again, his lips soft and sweet on hers.”
― Lynne Ewing, The Prophecy

“Catty pushed against Serena, trying to see inside. She had changed from her party clothes and now wore blue sweats with the image of a skull and crossbones on the front. The skull was adorned with a large pink bow.”
― Lynne Ewing, The Becoming

“At last she unclasped her moon amulet and fastened it around Shannon’s neck. “You keep it. You’re more goddess than I am. I’m just a street kid with the weird ability to move things.”
Then she looked back at the others. “Take care of Shannon for me.”
Catty put an arm around her. “Maybe Kendra can become her foster mom. She needs someone who isn’t always in trouble like me.”
“How do you know I’m not always in trouble?” Shannon snapped.
Her response pleased Catty, and she gave her a wild hug. “You’re a perfect sister for me.”
― Lynne Ewing, The Becoming