He grabbed a fork from beside the barbecue and speared the veggie burger. “Imagine this is human DNA, the fundamental building block of human life,” he said. In his other hand, he picked up a huge steak with his tongs. “While this is vampire DNA, the essence of our existence. My research says they are incompatible.” He flung them both back on the barbecue, and the flames flared wildly. “But perhaps there is something we are missing.”
He sighed thoughtfully. “Perhaps,” he continued, “the helical structure of human DNA can be made to intermingle with the helical structure of our DNA.” He began spouting hypotheses. Ivy had no clue what he was talking about, but the cloud of smoke around his head was getting larger.
“Marc,” Mrs. Daniels called from the kitchen, “is something burning?”
Ivy and Mr. Daniels looked down at the barbecue. He quickly flipped everything over.
“I’d like you and Olivia to come down to V-Gen,” he said. “My colleagues would be very excited to meet you. Of course,” he went on in a low voice, “you should probably pretend Olivia doesn’t know about vampires. Who knows how ASHH might feel about that.”
“What’s ASHH?” Ivy asked, waving Olivia over from where she and Brendan were playing death tag with Bethany.
“The Agency for the Security of Human Hybrids,” Mr. Daniels explained.
“That sounds ominous,” Ivy remarked.
“There have always been legends in the vampire community about the horrific results that ensue when a human and a vampire mate,” Brendan’s father said.
“Like how I used to have four heads?” Olivia interrupted.
Brendan’s dad did a double take.
“She’s joking,” Ivy clarified.
“Of course,” Mr. Daniels said sheepishly. “In any case, it’s been a source of great paranoia. Vampires are terribly worried that a human and a vampire will produce some sort of monster, which might cause our existence to be revealed. For this reason, ASHH was set up by the Vampire Round Table to investigate reports of vampire human relationships. It’s all nonsense, of course,” he said, “but ASHH checks into each and every tabloid headline about a deformed offspring. They’re kept quite busy, as you might imagine.”
“Have they ever discovered any actual hybrids?” asked Ivy. Maybe that’s what Olivia and I are, she thought with a shiver.
“Not a single one,” Mr. Daniels answered. “I personally believe ASHH isn’t worth what it costs to run, but unfortunately I’m in the minority. And in any case they do do some good work—including funding a few projects for V-Gen.” He leaned close to the girls. “It helps that the agency’s office is in our building, but they do tend to poke their noses into our business more than I’d like.”
“Do you think they have files about us?” Ivy asked apprehensively. Olivia nodded like she’d been about to ask the same question.
“If they don’t already,” Brendan’s father said, “I expect they soon will. But don’t worry,” he added upon seeing Ivy and Olivia’s reaction. “Since you two being twins has become so public, 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.