‘So when she got the allergic reaction to the Bloodbite Nettles, I gave her medicine meant for vampires instead of humans. That’s why she passed out.’
‘Oh no!’ Ivy felt a stab of worry. ‘That sounds serious. Can you help her?’ She knew that any remedy meant for a vampire was probably three times weaker than one intended for humans, because vampires had faster, stronger immune systems. Olivia would have felt OK for a while, but then her symptoms would have come back – much stronger.
‘You have to help her!’ Ivy wanted to reach out and shake Helga, but the gardener was already busy pulling instruments out of her big black bag. She lined up different shaped bottles and bags of herbs on the floor. A bitter smell wafted up from the mix of Helga’s ingredients. ‘Oh yes.’ Helga furrowed her brow and pressed her hand to Olivia’s forehead. ‘It can be fixed. I’m going to need some help doing it, that’s all. And Horatio has already helped carry in my bag for me.’ Her eyes flicked up to Horatio, who seemed to glow at the mention of his name.
‘Count me in,’ said Ivy, giving her sister’s hand a squeeze. But Olivia was still out cold. Her fingers lay limp and lifeless in Ivy’s grip.
Helga handed Ivy a small kettle and a warming plate. ‘First, we’ll need to create a hot poultice to apply to the site of the infection.’ She pointed to Olivia’s legs, which were red and bumpy. Ivy hadn’t noticed that in the dim candlelight downstairs! Ouch!
Ivy used her closed coffin as a workstation, following Helga’s directions to mix sagebrush, crushed rose thorn and orchid petals with a spoonful of pine-tree sap. She stirred it, letting it warm on the hot plate. Then, as Helga instructed, she brushed the ointment on to a bandage that Helga pressed against Olivia’s legs.
‘I’m impressed.’ Helga nodded approvingly at Ivy’s work. ‘Have you done this before?’
Ivy shook her head as she helped secure the compress, careful to control her super-strength so that she wouldn’t hurt her sister. ‘No, I don’t know anything about vampire medicine.’
‘Even more impressive. You have natural instincts. You could be a vampire healer one day.’ Helga sniffed one of the medicine bottles before putting it away.
Horatio took a slight step forwards, leaning over Helga’s shoulder to check their progress. ‘Anything I can do?’ he asked.
Helga waved him back. ‘Not yet, not yet.’ There was no room for a Frankenstein’s monster-sized vampire in the mix; there was barely enough for Helga and Ivy.
Ivy helped the herbologist replace the caps on a set of silver bottles. ‘I didn’t know there even were vampire healers.’
‘I didn’t either.’ Helga passed Ivy a pestle and mortar and something that looked like catnip. ‘Until I found my calling at Wallachia.’
Ivy stopped crushing the catnip. ‘You went to Wallachia?’
Helga used a thermometer to check Olivia’s temperature, nodding. ‘It’s a great place to learn vocational skills and find your passion. At least, it worked for me. It’s not all pearls and snooty vamps, you know.’ Helga winked. ‘And even if you didn’t want to pursue healing, Wallachia offers courses of study in any subject imaginable – with the highest standards of teaching.’ She sat back on her heels, thinking. ‘I remember when I was your age – so many possibilities.’
Ivy took a deep breath. ‘Are you happy?’ She handed back the crushed herb.
Helga smiled. ‘It’s my calling.’ She sprinkled the herb on a fresh bandage. ‘And now for the final touch.’
Ivy helped Helga apply a new poultice to Olivia’s legs. As if by magic, the colour started coming back into Olivia’s cheeks and, seconds later, her eyelashes fluttered. Another moment passed and Olivia slowly opened her eyes. She looked at Ivy, who wanted to hold her hand as tightly as she could, but kept her grip gentle. Olivia was even more fragile than she’d thought!
‘Welcome back, Miss Olivia. You should have told me you were human,’ teased Helga. ‘You gave us quite a scare!’ She collected the rest of her bottles and ointments and stashed them back in her medicine bag.
‘Oh.’ Olivia looked confused. ‘I thought it was obvious.’ Ivy laughed.
‘I’ll give you two a moment,’ said Helga.
‘Thank you,’ said Ivy.
Helga nodded and quietly started to leave them, Horatio in tow, while Ivy turned her attention back to Olivia. ‘I’m so glad you’re OK,’ said Ivy, chipping at her Midnight Mauve nail varnish. ‘Um . . . you were really sick, so I didn’t know what you wanted me to do, but I was wondering . . . do you want me to call . . . him ?’
Olivia stared at the ceiling.
I’ve said something wrong! Two seconds was all it took for me to make my sister feel rotten again! But then Olivia’s lips parted and her face cracked into a big smile. She nodded in the direction of Helga, who was standing in the hallway outside their room with Horatio, chortling at something he’d said. Ivy hadn’t heard him telling a joke!
‘He finally got the courage.’ Olivia was hoarse, but she sounded happy.
Ivy watched Helga and Horatio. Helga was brushing something off Horatio’s lapel and straightening his tie. ‘They are pretty cute together,’ Ivy admitted.
‘Don’t tell me you’ve caught the wedding bug now too.’ Olivia waggled her eyebrows. ‘I’m sure a certain somebody would be pleased to hear you’ve found your soft side.’