Fashion Frightmare! (My Sister the Vampire) by Sienna Mercer Page B

think . . . he might have been wearing blue jeans? Or black?’
    ‘Great.’ Ivy slumped against the banister. ‘That
really
narrows it down.’
    ‘Sorry.’ Olivia winced.
    ‘Don’t be.’ Ivy sighed. ‘It’s not your fault. But . . . aagh! Our best lead just slipped through our fingers. He was
right in front
of us – and we
still can’t find him!’ She dropped her head on to her forearms. ‘Some investigator I am!’
    ‘Hey.’ Olivia patted her shoulder. ‘Don’t you think you’re forgetting something?’
    ‘Like what?’ Ivy mumbled. ‘My brain? My observational skills? My –?’
    ‘No,’ Olivia said. ‘Your
nose
! Don’t you remember what Blue Skye said? Maxie wears a scent of patchouli oil and lavender. That can’t be a common combo on
most of the guys shopping here today, can it? And with you and Reiko both sharing that heightened sense of smell . . .’ Her smile sounded in her voice. ‘All is not definitely
lost!’
    ‘Of course.’ Ivy shook her head with a mixture of relief and fury.
How could I not have thought of that? I can be such a useless vamp sometimes.
    She looked to Reiko, who was tilting back her head to scent the air. Then the exchange student gave a worried grimace. ‘Actually,’ she said, ‘my nose isn’t working quite
right in America. Everything smells the same to me here!’
    Ivy turned to face the crowds below. It looked like it was all on her now. ‘Come on,’ she muttered to herself. ‘Focus!’
    But every time she tried to follow the scents in the air, she found herself distracted by the movements of the people beneath her. ‘Why can’t I stop
looking
?’
    ‘I have an idea.’ Reiko pulled her backpack off her shoulder and rummaged inside.
    Ivy frowned. ‘You want to play a game
now
?’
    ‘Better.’ Reiko pulled out a sweatband. ‘Ta-da!’
    ‘Um . . .’ Ivy’s eyes widened. ‘I really don’t think –’
    But Reiko was already advancing purposefully. ‘I promise it’s totally clean,’ she said, as she yanked it down over Ivy’s eyes. ‘How’s that?’
    ‘How
is
it?’ Ivy almost laughed. ‘I’m
blind
, that’s how it is. Why in darkness –
oh . . .
Wait . . .’ Her nose gave an
involuntary twitch. ‘I’m getting something!’
    ‘I knew it,’ Reiko said. ‘I got the idea from Blue Skye!’
    Normally, Ivy might have rolled her eyes, but this time, she didn’t even say a snarky word. Because right there, floating in the middle of the riot of scents that filled the crowded mall,
was . . .
    Patchouli oil and lavender.
‘This way!’
    She started forwards, but arms pulled her back.
    ‘Wait!’ Olivia was saying. ‘You were about to walk right into everyone getting off the escalator! Should I take this thing off you?’
    ‘No!’ Ivy slapped one protective hand against the sweatband, holding it tight. ‘I need it to keep my focus. Just get me on to the “down” escalator, back to the
ground floor – and don’t let me knock into anything!’
    Olivia and Reiko guided her through the crowd of people until Ivy felt her hand touch the rubber guide rail of the escalator. As the moving stairs carried her down towards the source of that
“Maxie” scent, whispers rose – and her vampire hearing, strengthened by her blindness, caught them all.
    ‘Whoa! Look at that pale girl with the blindfold!’
    ‘What is she doing?’
    ‘Maybe it’s a dare.’
    ‘Maybe she’s got some kind of sickness.’
    ‘Or, maybe . . . she’s just
really
weird.’
    Reiko must have heard the whispers too. ‘It’s a treasure hunt!’ she called out from behind Ivy. ‘She’s sniffing out prizes!’
    ‘Cool!’ The people in front of them on the escalator started peppering Reiko and Olivia with questions about the treasure hunt and some of them started sniffing the air
curiously.
    Ivy ignored them all, her attention focused on that single thread of scent. The moment her feet hit solid ground, she started to her right.
    ‘Uh-uh!’ Olivia