“I am Valencia Deborg,” the woman declared. There was a ruffle of her enormous sleeves, and a thick black binder appeared in one hand, while a ballpoint pen materialized in the other. She clicked the pen meaningfully. “Secretary of human relations for the Vampire Round Table.”
“And I,” said a nasal voice from the darkness, “am Mr. Boros of ASHH.” Olivia half expected a tall, mustachioed vampire to appear in a black cape. Instead, a short bald man in a rumpled suit stepped into the light beside his colleague.
“I saw that guy leaving ASHH right before we snuck in!” Ivy whispered in Olivia’s ear.
“And I saw you sneak in on the security cameras,” said the man coolly, “right after I left.”
Ivy and Olivia both straightened to attention.
“We are here to supervise the initiation of Olivia Abbott,” Valencia Deborg said solemnly. “The trials shall commence in one hour, at the setting of the sun.”
Casting a sidelong glance toward her sister, Olivia could see Ivy looked totally worried, which made her feel even more nervous.
“Before we begin”—Mr. Boros held up a stubby white finger—“we must be clear about what is to occur. There are fewer than a dozen humans in the world who know the Blood Secret, all under exceptional circumstances.”
“And your circumstances,” Ms. Deborg said, training her fiery eyes on Olivia, “are the most exceptional of all.”
“Unprecedented, according to our records,” confirmed Mr. Boros in his nasal voice.
“The tests to which you are to be subjected were devised hundreds of years ago,” Ms. Deborg told Olivia. “They were used only in those rare instances when a human learned the Blood Secret and there was a vampire willing to vouch for him. Is there a vampire present willing to bear this burden?”
“I will,” Ivy and her father said at the same time. Olivia could see that her sister was as surprised as she was by Mr. Vega’s volunteering like that.
Ms. Deborg and Mr. Boros nodded at each other, and Ms. Deborg continued. “The original tests were torturous . . .”
“Hideous,” said Mr. Boros with a shudder, as Olivia felt the color drain from her face.
“And unspeakably painful,” Ms. Deborg concluded.
“But now, of course,” Mr. Boros added casually, “the tests are more ritualized.”
A sigh of relief escaped from Olivia’s mouth. “In the past,” Ms. Deborg explained, “if applicants proved unworthy, they were summarily killed. Since the 1926 Vampiric Accord, that is no longer the way.”
“So what happens if I fail?” Olivia asked nervously.
“Your memory of anything and everything vampire related will be erased, and you will never see or have any contact with your sister ever again,” Mr. Boros answered simply.
“What?” Ivy and Olivia both exclaimed.
“How is that possible?” Olivia asked.
“Vampire scientists have developed a concoction for this purpose,” Ms. Deborg answered.
“I understand it’s not unlike a strawberry smoothie,” Mr. Boros remarked proudly, “which is much less messy than the old method of removing a portion of the cranial cortex.”
“And I wouldn’t be able to remember Ivy at all?” Olivia demanded. The vampire officials nodded.
“B-but we just found each other,” Ivy stammered.
“Perhaps it is for the best that you and I are moving to Europe,” Ivy’s father said under his breath.
Ivy shot him a bitter look. “What if Olivia refuses to be initiated?” she asked Ms. Deborg.
“She will confront the same result as one who has failed,” Ms. Deborg said icily.
Olivia took a deep breath. “And if I pass the tests?”
“Then everything will continue as before,” Mr. Boros replied.
Olivia squeezed her sister’s hand. “I know I’m worthy,” she whispered bravely. “I’ll pass any test they throw at me. I’m not going to lose you.”
Of course, inside, Olivia was totally freaking out. Sure, she’d been nervous, but she hadn’t had a clue how serious this whole initiation thing was. She was only thirteen, and already she was facing senility.
“Any questions?” Mr. Boros asked.
When Olivia shook her head, Ms. Deborg announced, “The applicant will now have a few moments for solitary contemplation before the First Test begins.” She and Mr. Boros turned to leave the room.
“Can I stay with her?” Ivy blurted.
Ms. Deborg stopped abruptly. Without turning around, she said, “I suppose,” with a hint of disapproval. Then she and Mr. Boros disappeared down the hallway, while Ivy’s father silently bowed his head and climbed the stairs.
In the living room, Ivy wrapped Olivia in a hug. “I’m sorry I got you into this,” she said. “I don’t know how you could ever forgive me.”
Somehow, seeing Ivy so torn up made Olivia feel less dire. “Forgive you?” Olivia said. “You’re the coolest thing that ever happened to me.”
Ivy responded with a familiar eye roll.
“Are you kidding?” Olivia answered, straightening her pink sweatshirt. “What do you think—I find out I have a vampire twin all the time? Besides,” she went on, “if this is really about whether I’m worthy to know the vampire secret, then we don’t have anything to worry about. I have a right to know. After all, it’s where I came from, too.” Whoa, Olivia thought. That all actually makes sense. All of a sudden, she wasn’t so afraid of the tests.
“No matter what,” Ivy said in a determined voice, “I won’t let them do anything grim to you. Even if something happens, I’ll figure out a way to stop them from erasing your memory. I’m not leaving your side for a second.”
“Sounds good,” Olivia grinned.
Ivy got a mischievous look in her eye, and Olivia could almost hear the gears turning inside her sister’s head. “There’s a secret escape passageway in the back of the pantry, and we could always sneak you out that way.” She started waving her black-nailed hands in the air. “We could even switch if we had to. We could run down to my room right now and put on matching outfits!”
Olivia put her hand gently on her sister’s arm. “I’m not going to run, Ivy,” she said. “I’m going to do what it takes to pass. I’m going to prove I’m worthy of the Blood Secret once and for all.”
“We shall see,” a cool voice intoned. Nearly jumping out of her sneakers, Olivia turned to see that Valencia Deborg had appeared in the doorway. “The time has come for the First Test,” she announced.
Olivia and Ivy exchanged nervous glances. Ms. Deborg gestured for them to follow her, and before Olivia knew it the vampire official was disappearing down the hall. On the main stairs, Olivia and Ivy had to take the steps two at a time to catch up.
Ms. Deborg led them to the same guest room that had the bathroom where they’d done their final shots for Vamp magazine. Against one wall was what looked like a dresser covered by a dark purple velvet sheet. Valencia Deborg pulled the sheet off with a flourish, revealing a black lacquered coffin.
“The Test of Darkness!” she announced dramatically. Olivia’s heart flooded with fear. Who’s in there? she thought. When she glanced at her sister, Ivy just shrugged nervously.
“You must spend the entire night in this coffin,” Ms. Deborg explained at last, “from dusk until dawn.”
“No way,” Olivia said under her breath.
“Way,” Ms. Deborg replied without a hint of humor. She glanced toward the window, where the sun had already begun setting. “There is not much time,” she said, and gestured for Olivia to go change.
A minute later, Olivia was standing alone in front of the same ornate mirror where she’d stood posing with her sister, except this time she was alone, wearing her sunflower pajamas, and brushing her teeth nervously.
I don’t want to be shut in a box all night, she thought, even if it does have a plush velvet interior . . . but I don’t want to lose my sister even more.
When she emerged from the bathroom, Ivy a
nd Ms. Deborg were waiting beside the open coffin expectantly. A laugh escaped from Ivy’s mouth.
“What?” Olivia inquired.
“Killer pajamas,” Ivy teased.
“It is time,” Ms. Deborg interrupted. Olivia walked up to the coffin. There was a little step stool to help her up, and she climbed inside. She lay down on her back and tucked her clammy hands at her sides.
“Does this thing have a nightlight?” she tried to joke.
Instead of answering, Ms. Deborg pulled down the lid. The last thing Olivia saw was her sister’s worried face, and then . . . nothing but darkness.
Olivia strained to hear her sister’s or Ms. Deborg’s voice outside the coffin, but it was eerily silent. All she could hear was her own panicked breathing. She tried to make out the ruffles in the upholstery that she knew were inches from her face, but she couldn’t. She raised a shaking hand slowly to touch the lid.
You’re okay, she told herself. It’s just the dark. Nothing can hurt you. Her mind started to wander. You’re just in a coffin. Used by vampires. Who happen to drink blood. Suddenly she could hear the loud, quick thuds of her own heart beating, and she had the urge to throw open the coffin and run out of the house screaming.
Instead, Olivia decided to try not to focus on where she was and count sheep. At first, they were all white. Then, without even thinking about it, they became black sheep. And, pretty soon, they started flying.
By the time she got to thirty-four, Olivia realized she was counting bats—which, for some reason, gave her the worst case of the giggles ever.
In an effort to stop her mind from playing tricks on her, Olivia tried to think of nice people: Ivy, her parents, Camilla, Sophia. After a few seconds, she felt herself relaxing. Actually, the coffin was surprisingly comfortable. She even had enough room to turn on her side. She started worrying about what tomorrow’s tests were going to be, but then she thought, I thought this test was going to be a total nightmare, but it’s not so bad, and felt herself drifting off to sleep.
Chapter 11
Olivia was awakened suddenly by a flood of light. She covered her eyes with her hands, peeking out between her fingers.
Out of the corner of her eyes she registered that she was surrounded by purple velvet and absentmindedly started rubbing her toe against it. Then she saw a black-lacquered edge, which made her think of Mr. Vega’s decorating. She lazily turned her head from side to side. I slept pretty well, she thought with a yawn, considering I’m in a coffin.
The pale, gaunt face of Valencia Deborg appeared above her. The vampire’s lips were moving, but for a second Olivia couldn’t work out what she was saying. “Olivia Abbott,” she finally made out, “you have passed the First Test, the Test of Darkness.”
Olivia sat upright and clapped like she’d just finished a cheer. She looked around to catch her sister’s eye, but Ms. Deborg was the only person there.
“Once you have changed, report to the upstairs landing,” Ms. Deborg said sternly before sweeping out of the room.
Olivia rushed to wash her face, brush her teeth, and throw on her clothes. She raced down the hall to the stairs, expecting to see Ivy. Instead, Mr. Boros was standing there alone.
“Good morning,” he said. The few remaining hairs on his head were sticking out at all angles and he was wearing the same rumpled suit he’d worn yesterday. Olivia figured he must have slept in an extra coffin in the attic or something.
Olivia followed him down the stairs to the breakfast room, where Valencia Deborg was ready, wearing a fresh dark-red and purple kimono and holding a tall glass filled with pink frothy liquid. “Your breakfast.”
Olivia’s heart jumped. It’s the memory-erasure concoction! “But I thought I passed!” she sputtered.
Ms. Deborg frowned. “You would rather have Marshmallow Platelets?”
“No,” Olivia said, “but I don’t want to drink a memory-loss smoothie, either.”
Ms. Deborg and Mr. Boros both looked at her cluelessly.
“Oh!” Mr. Boros said finally. “She thinks . . . No, no, young lady, this is a real strawberry smoothie. Made especially for you.”
“Really?” Olivia peered into the glass.
“Cross my neck and hope to die,” Ms. Deborg pledged without smiling.
Sitting down, Olivia took a tentative sip. It was super delicious. All at once she realized she was ravenous and began gulping through the straw.
Halfway through, she started to get a brain freeze headache that made her take a break. “Where’s Ivy?” she wondered aloud.
Mr. Boros and Ms. Deborg exchanged glances. “She’s not here,” Mr. Boros said.
“Where’d she go?” Olivia asked.
“How should we know?” Ms. Deborg answered blankly.
Olivia ducked her head to finish her smoothie. That’s strange, she thought. Ivy promised she’d stay close by. Maybe she’s working on one of those contingency plans of hers, like preparing an escape route out a second-floor window.
After her smoothie, Ms. Deborg presented Olivia with a piece of toast with red jam. As Olivia ate it, she started to get nervous for her next test. Don’t worry, she told herself. Ivy will definitely be back for that. She ate her toast more and more slowly until just a few bites were left. She didn’t want to finish it until her sister showed up. Finally, Ms. Deborg took the plate away and gestured for Olivia to follow her and Mr. Boros. They led her back up to the second floor and down the hall to Mr. Vega’s study.
As the vampire officials proceeded into the room ahead of her, Olivia could see Mr. Vega waiting in the corner next to the enormous globe. She froze in the doorway and scanned the rest of the room. Ivy wasn’t there. She planted her feet. “I want to know where Ivy is,” she demanded.
Ms. Deborg glared down at her. “I told you; we don’t know where she is.”
“I don’t believe you,” Olivia said. Everybody just stared at her.
Ivy’s father cleared his throat. “Ivy mentioned that she was going out with Brendan for the morning. She said she’d be back in time for the Third Test.” He looked away.
Ms. Deborg ruffled an enormous kimono sleeve and a sleek black watch appeared on her slender wrist. She looked at it impatiently. “We must proceed with the Second Test at once.”
Olivia shook her head. “Ivy promised she’d stay with me. She wouldn’t break a promise like that.”
“Are you saying you are unwilling to proceed?” Mr. Boros asked sternly.
Olivia hesitated. Ivy swore she’d be here, she thought, and she’s not. What if they’ve done something to her?
“I guess I am.” Olivia gulped. “At least, I am until Ivy shows up.”
There was silence. Then Olivia thought she saw the slightest hint of a smile appear on Mr. Vega’s face.
“Olivia Abbott,” Ms. Deborg announced, “you have passed the Second Test, the Test of Faith.”
“Huh?” Olivia said. Mr. Boros slipped out of the room and returned with Ivy, who looked more frustrated than a cheerleader who had fallen during a tumbling routine.
“They wouldn’t let me in!” Ivy shook Mr. Boros off and ran up to Olivia. “Are you okay?”
“I’m okay,” Olivia said. “Are you okay?”
“Uh-huh,” Ivy answered.
“I was so worried!” Olivia told her.
Ivy nodded in agreement. “What happened?”
“I passed the Second Test.” Olivia shrugged.
“The Test of Faith,” Mr. Boros said in his nasal voice, “is passed when the applicant shows complete faith in the vampire who vouched for her.”
“I knew something was wrong,” Olivia began, “because you said—”
“I wouldn’t leave your side for a second.” Ivy grinned. She and Olivia high-fived. “Only one more nail to seal this coffin!” Ivy said excitedly.
“The Third, and final, Test,” Ms. Deborg said solemnly, “is the Test of Blood.”
Olivia clutched her stomach. The thought of drinking blood totally made her wa
nt to puke. “You mean I have to drink ...?” She couldn’t even bring herself to finish the question.
“That would be a Test of Fortitude, wouldn’t it?” Ms. Deborg deadpanned.
“Of course we’d never make a human drink blood,” assured Mr. Boros. “No, no, the Test of Blood merely refers to your blood, Olivia.”
“What?” Olivia croaked.
Valencia ruffled a sleeve, revealing a huge ruby ring that glinted on her finger. She approached Olivia and pressed the sides of the enormous ring. The ruby popped open to reveal what looked like the sharp point of a thumbtack. Ms. Deborg extended her other hand, palm up, expectantly.
Olivia took a step backward. “What do I have to do?”
Instead of answering, Ms. Deborg curled the tips of her fingers invitingly.
Olivia reached behind her back and gripped Ivy’s hand for moral support. Then she shut her eyes tight and reached out with her free hand. She felt Valencia Deborg’s cool fingers close around her index finger.
“What’s happening?” she whispered, terrified.
“Don’t hurt her!” Ivy cried.
But then nothing happened. Mr. Boros cleared his throat meaningfully a few times, and eventually Olivia realized that he was trying to get her attention. She forced herself to open her eyes and saw that he was holding up a yellowed piece of parchment inches from her face. Its borders were filled with elaborate, spiky designs, and in the center was a poem written in fancy black script.
“The applicant will read the Blood Oath,” he declared.
Olivia took a deep breath before starting to read aloud.
“‘Their Night is my Night. Their Blood is my Blood. Their Secret is my Secret. This Oath is my Coffin.’”
Re-Vamped! Page 9
