Free Re-Vamped! by Sienna Mercer Page A

ASHH wouldn’t dare kidnap you for study.”
    Somehow, thought Ivy, that doesn’t make
me feel better.
    “Um,
Mr. Daniels?” Olivia said, gesturing to the barbecue.
    Mr.
Daniels quickly picked up Olivia’s veggie burger—now charred and smoking—and
dangled it in the air with his tongs. “Do you think this is done?”
    Olivia’s
mom was planning to pick Olivia up from Ivy’s house later, so the sisters
decided to walk there from Brendan’s. Most of the way, Olivia and Ivy didn’t
say much. Olivia was lost in her thoughts about what it would be like to have
vampire parents. The Daniels were the first vamp grown-ups she’d spent time
with. In some ways, they were just like normal parents. In others, they seemed
much more . . . knowing.
    As
they climbed the long driveway, lined with bare trees, Ivy clicked her tongue
thoughtfully.
    “What
are you thinking about?” asked Olivia.
    “ASHH,”
Ivy answered. “About how maybe they’re the reason there’s no record of
my adoption. They could have covered it up.”
    “Why
would they?”
    “Maybe
they were trying to bury my connection to a human sister,” Ivy said, unlocking
the front door. “For all we know, they orchestrated our split from the very
beginning.”
    The
thought sent a chill through Olivia. Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the
dim lighting in Ivy’s front hall, but her sister was already heading for the
living room. Olivia hurried to catch up.
    As
they passed through the living room archway, Ivy stopped in her tracks, and
Olivia walked right into her back. Over her sister’s shoulder, Olivia could see
the back of a black-suited specter standing in the middle of the living room. It’s
ASHH! Olivia thought.
    The
man turned and looked at the girls sternly.
    “Hi,
Dad,” said Ivy.
    Ivy’s
father just stood there. He didn’t even say hi. Finally, Ivy said, “Olivia,
this is my father.” Olivia bounced over. “It’s so great to finally meet you!”
she said, but Ivy could see that her father’s jaw was clenched. He forced
himself to smile and, avoiding Olivia’s eyes, shook her hand once before
withdrawing. It was like he didn’t even want to touch her.
    Ivy’s
blood started to simmer.  I can’t believe he’s being so prejudiced! she
thought.
    They
all stared at one another until finally Ivy couldn’t take it anymore. “Is it
okay if Olivia and I use the computer?” she asked.
    “No,”
her father dismissed. “I need it for work.”
    “It
won’t be for long,” Ivy argued. “Olivia has to go home soon anyway.”
    “I
have a great deal of preparing to do before we move, Ivy,” he said abruptly.
    Ivy’s
vision suddenly blurred. “I don’t care about the move!” she shouted. “I care
about Olivia. I care about my sister—unlike you !”
    Her
father’s face changed, and his eyes flickered toward Olivia for the first time.
“Ivy—” he began.
    “I
care about my real parents!” Ivy screamed. Stricken, her father
staggered backward, steadying himself against the edge of the couch.
    “Sorry
to bother you,” Olivia said sadly to Mr. Vega as Ivy grabbed her hand and
stalked out.

Chapter 8
    The
next day at lunch, Ivy saw her sister approaching across the cafeteria and
dried her eyes with her napkin. She’d just been unloading on Sophia and Brendan
about her fight with her father.
    “How
are you?” Olivia asked gently.
    Ivy
shrugged. “I’d be better if my dad wasn’t so narrow-minded.” She moved her bag
so Olivia could sit down.
    “I
don’t understand,” Sophia said. “Charles Vega has always been the vamp dad
everyone wanted.” Brendan nodded in agreement.
    “Come
on,” Ivy said with an eye roll. “He never liked humans.”
    “Remember
when he decorated that human lady’s house in LA?” Sophia said. “That didn’t
seem to put his wings in a flap.”
    “That
was just a client,” Ivy said, shaking her head. “Anyway,” she said, deciding to
change the subject, “I looked on the VVV last night to