Seconds later, he came rushing out on to the dew-stained lawn. Ivy didn’t know which was more amusing, his bedhead or his look of sheer amazement.
‘Where’s Petra?’ he cried, stumbling to a halt. ‘What are you doing here?’ He looked past Ivy hopefully, scanning the forest, before his gaze settled back on her face. He cleared his throat. ‘Um, there seems to be a misunderstanding. You’re very nice and everything, but Petra’s my true love. I mean, I’m sure some boys would find you attractive, but . . .’
‘Don’t kid yourself!’ Ivy erupted. She couldn’t believe it. Etan thought she’d made her way through the Gauntlet because, because . . . He thinks I have a crush on him! Ivy pulled her shoulders back. ‘I have the best boyfriend in the world waiting for me back in Franklin Grove. I’m not here because I “heart” you!’ She drew a little heart in the air with her forefingers, grimacing. ‘I’m here to help Petra.’
Before Etan could open his mouth to say sorry, there was the sound of a twig snapping. He jumped and darted back inside. Ivy looked round.
That was weird. Why was everyone around here so jumpy? Thank goodness I have a normal boyfriend. Just not here in Transylvania. Ivy sighed. Maybe she had made the wrong –
A slow clap started up behind her. ‘Bravo, bravo.’
Bats alive! Ivy’s heart jolted. She turned to see Miss Avisrova, wearing an ugly frown. How did her teacher get here so fast?
Ivy’s jaw clenched. Here it comes.
‘You know –’ the Etiquette teacher began circling her – ‘I smelled you, Miss Lazar, there in the forest, from a mile away. And I knew that you would have the insolence to try to complete the course.’
‘I did complete the course,’ Ivy corrected.
Miss Avisrova ignored her. ‘That ostentatious American fragrance creates an unmistakable stench.’
It’s got to smell better than Eau de Snob, thought Ivy, but she just managed to bite her lip. Do not say that out loud. There was no way that would end well.
Miss Avisrova snatched the grubby envelope from Ivy’s hand. ‘What do we have here?’ she read the scrawling script. ‘Very well,’ she said sharply. ‘As is customary, the token of love will be passed on to the intended.’
Ivy frowned. On the one hand, she was glad that Petra’s letter would get to her true love. On the other hand . . . ‘What do you mean “customary”?’ she asked. Had the Gauntlet been conquered by love before?
Avisrova’s eyebrows nearly disappeared into her hairline. ‘I don’t have to explain my meaning to you,’ she said, her voice high and tight. Then she seemed to force herself to relax, her shoulders dropping. ‘But even I have a heart. Etan will get his letter.’ For a moment, Avisrova gazed off in the direction of the boys’ dormitory. ‘I was in love once, you know . . .’
In love? Ivy could not picture that. But as fast as this softer side had come on, Avisrova’s stony expression returned. She cleared her throat. ‘As for you, Miss Lazar . . .’ The hairs on the back of Ivy’s neck stood on end. ‘You will report to my office after school.’ She glanced over towards the Gauntlet, a smile twitching at the corners of her mouth. ‘But you’d better be quick. I want you back in your dorm room before anyone wakes up.’
How utterly great, thought Ivy, squinting into the rising sun as Avisrova walked off in the direction of the boys’ dorm. Now I have to get back through the forest without my hair turning white and then wait for my death sentence. She tried not to shiver in the chill dawn air and wondered what her sister was doing right now. Olivia would never get herself into trouble like this, she thought. Why can’t I be more like my twin?
Chapter Eight
Low: 90°
High: 96°
Current Temperature: 92°
Olivia snapped shut the pink rhinestone cover on her phone. Of course the universe wouldn’t cooperate just so that she could pull off a lie. The best she could hope for now was to get out of her house without being spotted by anyone – especially her parents.
She clicked on her webcam and Ivy appeared at her desk on-screen. She and Ivy had been texting and Ivy had agreed to take a quick ten minutes during her lunch break to have a video call with Olivia.
‘Hey there, sister!’ Olivia waved to the camera. ‘How do I look?’
Ivy’s eyes grew wide. ‘Awful! What are you wearing?’
Olivia looked at the corner of the screen that showed her own picture as Ivy would see it through her computer. She had lined her eyes with dark eyeliner and coated her lips with a thick layer of Midnight Mauve lipstick. Her dark hair was pinned into a bun with two chopsticks.
Olivia shrugged. ‘You know what they say – “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”. And anyway, you look a bit – um – rough around the edges yourself.’ She didn’t want to say too much, but her sister looked as though she’d been dragged through a hedge backwards!
Ivy hastily patted down her hair. ‘Er, I had a bit of a midnight adventure,’ she said.
‘Oh, goodie!’ Olivia cried, clapping her hands together. ‘A midnight feast? I knew you’d make friends quickly. Tell me all about it!’
On screen, Olivia saw Ivy stifle a yawn. ‘It wasn’t a feast, exactly, more of an assault course.’ Olivia’s brow crinkled into a frown of curiosity as Ivy continued. ‘I’ll tell you about it some other time. Once I’ve had a good night’s sleep. You fill me in on what you’ve been doing. What’s with the goth make-up?’