Ivy nodded. ‘That sounds like the culprit. Energy products are processed and chock-full of artificial ingredients. Brendan’s system probably couldn’t digest them all properly. He should have known better.’
Olivia whistled. ‘Who are you and what did you do with my sister?’ she teased. ‘You’re a genius!’
Charles left the room for a moment and came back holding a Taurus Bar. ‘Is this what Brendan ate, Olivia?’ he asked.
‘Yes! Where’d you get that?’
‘I checked Brendan’s jacket pockets and saw that he had a spare one. Who knows how many of these he’s been eating.’ Charles read the label. ‘It contains oxymistine.’
‘What’s that?’ asked Olivia. Brendan had made it sound as if the bar would be good for both humans and vampires.
‘It’s a chemical that gives vampires energy, the same way humans get a boost from caffeine. It should be harmless enough, but judging by Brendan’s state, there must be a lot more in these bars than the 1.4 grams stated on the label.’ He unwrapped the bar and broke a piece off, studying it in the overhead light. ‘Hmm . . . very suspicious.’
‘Don’t worry about that right now, Detective Dad.’ Ivy winked. ‘The remedy will be ready any second.’ She took another pinch of lavender and added it to the mix, wafting some of the fragrance up to her nose and sniffing.
Olivia smiled. ‘I remember how you cured me when I was in . . . Wait a minute! We still haven’t talked about why you’re back here in Franklin Grove. You’re supposed to be . . .’ She pointed outside. ‘And now you’re . . .’ Olivia pointed down at her feet. ‘But how did . . .’ She shook her head and threw her hands in the air. ‘What’s going on?!’
‘I promise I’ll explain everything.’ Ivy scooped the bowl under her arm. ‘Right after I fix up my boyfriend.’
‘Did you know?’ Olivia demanded of Charles.
His eyes crinkled at the corners. ‘I had to buy her a plane ticket, didn’t I? Ivy called me last night and said she wanted to come home. So here she is.’
Olivia stared dumbfounded at the swinging kitchen door. But it didn’t matter. I don’t care why she’s back, so long as she is back. My life gets crazy when she’s not around!
Ivy sat on the edge of the sofa, holding Brendan’s hand. She couldn’t believe how feverish he’d been before, but his skin was much cooler now. Ivy took in his marble face and the dark shaggy hair that brushed his cheek as he slept. The dimple on his chin was just as cute as she’d remembered it, though she wouldn’t admit that to anyone in a million years. Ivy was so glad to see him she could hardly understand how she’d managed to say goodbye in the first place.
It would be a few hours before he woke up, which was fine because she still had a lot to wrap her jet-lagged brain around. Fortunately, his parents had crashed out in a bedroom, so she didn’t have to worry about making polite conversation with anyone. ‘So you’re sure you’re OK?’ she asked Olivia, who was sitting cross-legged on the oriental rug with their dad.
Charles had brought in three steaming mugs full of rich hot chocolate. He blew across the tops of the cups to cool them down.
‘Yes!’ Olivia repeated. ‘I told you, the break-up really was mutual. Jackson . . .’ Olivia paused when she mentioned his name. ‘Jackson is a good guy. We’ll still be friends. And I know one thing: we made his thousands of adoring fans happy!’
Leave it to Olivia to find the positive spin. ‘But I wasn’t here to –’ Ivy protested.
‘I survived,’ Olivia reassured her. ‘And besides, what we should be focused on is Dad’s big day! Remember the whole wedding thing?’
‘It’s not just my big day.’ Charles patted Olivia on the head. ‘It will be a big day for all of us. We’re getting a new Vega.’ He jiggled open the thin drawer in the coffee table and pulled out a magazine called Vampire Bride, flipping it open to a page on which a slender female vampire was riding a camel next to the pyramids in a form-fitting wedding dress. ‘Now, what do you think of this, Ivy?’
‘I think, “Hooray, more wedding planning”,’ Ivy joked. ‘My favourite.’
Olivia tossed a throw pillow at her.
‘Hey, watch it! I’m only kidding!’ It was true. Ivy was thrilled her dad was getting married to Lillian. Her whole life, she had worried that her father would never find someone he loved as much as the twins’ mother. But somehow it seemed that ever since she’d found Olivia, her family just kept getting bigger and better.
Ivy’s cheeks weren’t used to all this smiling, but she couldn’t stop, even when her face started to hurt. How did she ever think she could live anywhere other than Franklin Grove? She looked from her dad to Olivia to Brendan. This is where I belong.
Charles handed her a cup of hot chocolate. ‘You know, there might be some serious questions asked by people at the Academy about your departure.’ He took a swig from his own mug. ‘And I’m fairly certain your grandparents are going to be upset. It was their dream that you attend Wallachia.’
‘I know,’ said Ivy, pulling her knees to her chest. ‘But it wasn’t my dream.’
Charles nodded thoughtfully. ‘And I’m extremely proud of you for giving the school a fair shot, but making your own mind up about it.’
‘I met one of your old classmates, Dad.’ Ivy watched Charles carefully to gauge his reaction. ‘Alexandra Avisrova?’ Even now Ivy could barely say the name without shuddering.
‘Ah, yes,’ said Charles. His face was smooth, serene yet thoughtful. ‘Alexandra. She was a . . . a good friend of mine from school, yes. We no longer keep in touch.’
Ivy wanted to press him for more details, but she sensed that her father wasn’t going to provide any. That was probably the kindest thing for poor, rigid Miss Avisrova, so she changed the subject. ‘And my grandparents? Will they be disappointed in me?’ That had been her biggest fear about her decision to leave Wallachia.