‘– than stalking Maya, or whatever her real name is, down the street,’ Sophia finished for her. ‘And have you even considered how we’re going to explain to our parents why we didn’t come home on the school bus today?’
But Ivy didn’t answer. Instead, pulling free of the other two girls’ arms, she sped up, passing the ‘Welcome to Lincoln Vale’ sign without a moment’s hesitation.
Olivia shared a worried look with Sophia. She could see the same fear in her friend’s eyes that she felt herself. If Ivy caught up with Maya in this mood, the results could be disastrous.
I can’t let that happen. Taking a deep breath, Olivia hurried to catch up with her twin.
Together, they turned a corner and stepped into a small cul-de-sac of large white houses. Every car parked in a driveway was gleamingly clean and new, and the pets in the fenced front yards all looked like very well-behaved purebreds.
‘This place is too perfect,’ Sophia muttered.
‘Pick up the pace!’ Ivy hissed. She pointed ahead to where Maya was slipping through a narrow walkway between two houses. ‘We can’t lose her now.’
Sophia followed Ivy, while Olivia hurried after them.
Funny how none of the dogs have been barking, Olivia realised, as she looked at all the pets staring as they passed. Most of the dogs hunkered down submissively as Ivy and Sophia walked by.
‘I guess they know vampires when they see them,’ she mumbled to Ivy and Sophia. Huh. There was something about that realisation that niggled at her . . . but she didn’t have time to puzzle it out now. It was everything she could do just to keep up with the two vampires ahead of her. The walkway emerged on to a vast town square, dominated at the far end by the massive, glass-walled Lincoln Vale Mall. As Olivia watched, Maya walked straight through the wide front doors.
Squaring her shoulders, Ivy headed for the mall.
Olivia’s eyes widened as she followed her sister and Sophia inside. It was her first time at the Lincoln Vale shopping mall, and now that she was here, she could see why Ivy had rated it a solid ‘not bad’ when Olivia had asked her about it before.
The wide main corridor was lined with goth-themed music stores, and Pall Bearers posters took pride of place in almost every window. It’s like this place was made for Ivy and . . .
Olivia froze when Maya began to turn away from the CD rack she was inspecting. Then she grabbed Ivy and Sophia’s hands, pulling them through the nearest doorway into an indie clothing shop just across from the music store.
‘Come on!’ she whispered, as the three girls huddled by the display window. Olivia could read the name Blue Skye’s in backwards lettering on the window. ‘This is perfect,’ she hissed. ‘We can pretend to inspect the clothing . . . while we really keep an eye on Maya.’
Trying to maintain their cover, Olivia picked up a pair of hemp gloves. She held them up against her hands, while Sophia fingered the fabric of a white cotton peasant-style blouse – but Ivy kept her gaze off the clothes, and on the back of Maya’s head.
Olivia sneezed at the overpowering aroma of incense as someone swept up behind them. ‘My dears! You’ve come to me just in time!’
‘Um . . . excuse me?’ Olivia blinked, turned around . . . and blinked even harder, as she took in the sight in front of her.
At least six feet tall and dressed in a floating blue kaftan, the shop owner swept out her arms in exuberant welcome, sending a dozen colourful bracelets and bangles jangling with the movement. Each of her hands was covered with an intricate, looping henna design. Her fizzy red dreadlocks were contained by a pink and black bandana – barely.
The shop owner smiled kindly as she looked from one girl to another. ‘If you’re looking to broaden your fashion palettes, you have absolutely come to the rightest place. Perhaps you were guided here!’ She held out one strong hennaed hand to shake each of their hands warmly. ‘I’m Blue Skye.’
Olivia smiled weakly as she pulled her hand free. Somehow I’m guessing she wasn’t born with that name!
‘Now, let me really look at you.’ Blue Skye pulled and nudged until she’d arranged all three girls in a row. As they craned their necks to try to keep Maya in sight, she worked her way down the row, sighing. ‘It’s obvious to me that each of you is stifling yourselves.’
Ivy was fidgeting with impatience, but Blue Skye didn’t seem to notice. Making a face, she looked the two vampires up and down, from Ivy’s long black skirt and bat-patterned top to Sophia’s elegant black wrap dress and black suit-coat.
‘I can sense just from looking at you girls that you walk with a great burden on your shoulders . . .’ Her voice deepened, sounding dramatic. ‘The burden of things that go unsaid!’
Olivia had to stifle a giggle. Blue Skye doesn’t know just how right she is!
‘But luckily, I’m here for you now.’ Beaming, Blue Skye clasped her hands before her. ‘Now, I’m not the type of pushy-pusher who would demand a person unleash themselves every day. Not everyone is comfortable putting themselves out there all the time, and I get that. That doesn’t mean you can’t communicate in other ways, though. That’s where style comes in. You dig?’
Olivia hoped she would never be stuck in a room with both Blue Skye and film studio boss Jacob Harker. That much mellowness in one room might be more than she could handle!
‘Now, I would be thrilled to show you girls my selection,’ Blue Skye continued. ‘And don’t worry, I won’t try to force you to buy anything, or lie to you about how something looks just because I want a sale. That’s not my way.’
‘Um . . . thank you?’ Olivia wanted to be polite, but it was hard to know what to say. Beside her, Sophia had turned to the closest rack of clothes . . . but Olivia was pretty sure that was only to hide her broad grin.
‘Oh, I have complete faith that once you really start to look around, the rightest threads will sing to you. They always do.’ Blue Skye’s smile somehow got wider.