THE MEPHISTO COVENANT

  “Yes, I can, and laying a guilt trip on me isn’t going to change my mind.”

  “I never pegged you for a coward, Sasha.”

  Was she a coward? Did she owe something to the world because of the way she had been born? It didn’t seem fair. Why couldn’t she just be ordinary?

  She dissected her frog, labeled all the organs on the frog-diagram worksheet, then sat back to wait for Mr. Hoolihan.

  He gave her a C. As he moved toward Brody’s frog, she asked, “Why did you give me a C? What did I do wrong?”

  The man never looked at her when he said, “I don’t like the way you pinned the specimen.”

  His dismissive tone and attitude made her furious. “You don’t like it? What does that mean? Either I did it right or I didn’t.”

  He turned to her, eyes narrowed, and said in a low, almost threatening voice, “You got a C. Keep this up and I’ll give you a D.”

  She saw the shadow then, and understood why he was being such a jackass. He was a lost soul, and it seemed they couldn’t help it. Her anger boiled over. “I deserve an A.”

  He scratched out the C and wrote a large D across her paper. “You’re not at some snooty prep school anymore, little girl.”

  “I’m not a little girl. Explain to me why I deserve a D.”

  He scratched the D out so hard, he tore the paper. Then he wrote an F that covered the whole sheet. “There’s your explanation.”

  Sasha stared hard at him, and he glared back. He was practically foaming at the mouth because he was so angry and out of control. Every part of her—body and soul—wanted to lunge across the desk and put the guy in a choke hold. She shook with the energy it took to keep herself from doing it.

  Finally, he turned away and barely glanced at Brody’s unfinished frog before scribbling a shaky A across his paper.

  Jax was looking at her with an odd expression. He shot a glance at Hoolihan, then back at her, and mouthed the words, Be careful.

  She nodded and focused on her paper, which she folded neatly and slipped beneath the slimy frog.

  “Just curious,” Brody whispered, “but have you ever had a violent thought in your life?”

  “Never.”

  “You wanted to go after him, didn’t you?”

  “It hurt not to.”

  “You can see what he is?”

  She nodded. “What I can’t figure out is why he purposely screwed me over.”

  “Brett was their best asset for recruiting, and now he’s lost his shine. I think they blame you.”

  “He did it to himself.”

  “True, but they don’t see it that way. You’ve ruined all their plans to make a huge sweep at this school, and they hate you for it. You need to be very careful, Sasha.”

  Watching while Mr. Hoolihan made a big fuss over Amanda’s frog, like she’d just invented the cure for cancer, Sasha saw it for what it was—base flattery meant to wow her, to make her like him, to make her more interested in joining the Ravens. Amanda fell for it, smiling happily, turning to shoot a superior look at Sasha before she looked toward Brett. He nodded his head at her, and she looked ready to pass out from sheer joy.

  “He’s still something cool for some, it seems. People will do just about anything to win approval,” Brody whispered. “Even sell their soul.”

  “I wish Jax would take Mr. Bruno now, right away, before more people join.”

  “There’s going to be a Skia meeting soon, but we don’t know where, or when. Bruno is planning it, so we’re waiting until he does something that’ll let us know, like make reservations, or book a plane flight, or contact some of the Skia who’re invited. It’s a chance to take out a lot of them, all at once. Otherwise, planning for each one could take months, and as you can see, some of them work very fast.”

  Watching Amanda, Sasha felt all the weight of the Ravens, of Bruno and Eryx and what they could mean to this girl who looked so sad, who ate lunch by herself, who thought Chris wasn’t bad to look at. She was in danger of losing her soul and becoming an empty shell, lost to Heaven or Hell. Just … gone. She wouldn’t think Chris wasn’t so bad to look at. She wouldn’t think about Chris at all. Her whole focus, her every moment, would be centered around finding new people to join the club, new members to give their souls to Eryx.

  “Brody, I know you and Jax and the others can’t interfere with free will, or try to convince people not to join, but what about me? Can I?”

  He looked at her and smiled. “You’re still human, Sasha. Unique and on the edge of becoming something different, but still human.” He glanced at Amanda. “But be very careful. So much of what you know, she wouldn’t believe, and if for some reason she did, she might share it with someone who could screw it all up for the Mephisto. Surprise is crucial, so we can’t let Bruno have any clue that we’re onto him. Even if you don’t tell her anything, if you start lecturing or preaching at her, she’ll run straight to them.”

  “So what you’re saying is that it’s hopeless?”

  “Not hopeless, just difficult. It would be worth a try, because every human who says no means one less for Eryx.”

  She wanted Eryx to fail, but it wasn’t that so much as wanting to keep Amanda from becoming lost. There was something about losing her, in particular, that bothered Sasha. She was now glancing at Brett every so often, to see if he was looking her way. He wasn’t, and she eventually slumped back in her chair to stare at the lab table, her previous excitement fading.

  Sasha spent the rest of class thinking of a way to approach Amanda.

  She got the opportunity during the next period, a study hall for anyone not involved in various senior activities, like yearbook or prom committee. The first five minutes, Coach Hightower joked around with everyone and talked a lot about basketball, mostly to Jax. “We’ve only got two more games before the break, but we’ll have a full schedule in January.” He looked around the room. “You’ll all be at tonight’s game, right?”

  Everyone nodded or said, “Yes,” and he looked satisfied.

  Sasha sat on the far side of the room, next to Jax, glancing out the window every so often, looking for Boo. Brett and East sat at the back of the room, not talking, not joining in, not studying. They just sat and stared, mostly at her, which might have creeped her out yesterday. Today, she didn’t care.

  Amanda sat on the opposite side of the room, along with a couple of other girls who were quiet and probably really smart. They were actually studying. Amanda was reading The Metamorphosis, but Sasha noticed she never turned a page.

  Then Coach Hightower said, “What we need is some cookies. Who wants to go get some?”

  Immediately, Amanda raised her hand. “I’ll go.”

  “Okay, great,” Coach said, then glanced around the room until he saw Sasha. “You wanna go along and bring the cocoa?”

  She nodded, so glad he’d picked her. This was her chance to get to know Amanda.

  After he handed them twenty dollars, they left the room and headed toward the front of the school. Sasha waited for Amanda to say something first, but after they’d walked outside and across half the school grounds, Boo tagging along behind, she realized Amanda wasn’t going to say a word.

  Okay, then she’d start. “How long have you lived in Telluride?”

  “I live in Placerville.”

  They walked on in silence for a while before Amanda asked, “Why would Brett make up that story? He’s your cousin. Maybe not the same as a brother, but still, he’s family.”

  “He wanted me to join the Ravens, and he thought if he made me miserable enough, I’d do it so he’d take it back and tell everyone it was all a joke.”

  “Why don’t you want to join? I think it sounds awesome, and it’s not like they ask just anybody.”

  Sasha chose her words carefully, and finally asked, “Do you know what you have to do to join?”

  “Sure. You have to give up God and promise to follow Eryx.”

  Curious to find out how much Amanda knew, she
asked, “Who’s Eryx?”

  “He’s kind of like an angel. Whatever you want, he can get it for you.”

  “How come I’ve never heard of him? I mean, if he’s all that special and amazing, why don’t more people know about him?”

  Amanda shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe because some people would harass his followers; that’s why they just have these secret meetings.”

  “Whatever. It’s not for me.”

  “Why? Are you über-religious or something?”

  “I believe in God, and I hope when I die I’ll go to Heaven. If that makes me über-religious, then yeah, I guess so. I’m just not down with turning my back on God and following some guy I’ve never heard of.”

  “Even if he could get you what you really wanted?”

  “He couldn’t get me what I want.”

  “What do you want?”

  “For my dad to still be alive.”

  “Oh.” Amanda looked ahead when they reached Colorado. “My mom didn’t die, but she left, and I wouldn’t want her to come back. She was crazy, and mean. She went out with other guys, drank all the time, and spent the grocery money on stuff she thought would make people think we were rich. Pretty dumb, since Dad is a butcher. He’s a lot happier since she left.”

  Sasha wasn’t sure how to respond, so she asked, “What do you want from Eryx?”

  Amanda shrugged. “To be happy, and maybe do better in school, and get a boyfriend, and not be so shy and awkward. I hate it.”

  Boo ran in front of them, hopping around like he was on speed. Now that they were on the main street, Sasha decided he needed his leash. Pulling it from her coat pocket, she whistled at him, then bent to hook it to his collar.

  “No offense, Sasha, but that is one butt-ugly dog.”

  Boo whined and hung his head. “Now look, you’ve hurt his feelings.” She scratched behind his ears before she stood straight.

  “I’m sorry. I wish I had a dog, even an ugly one.” She bent to pet Boo, who licked her hand.

  They walked on, looking in shop windows as they went. “I don’t think you need to join the Ravens to get what you want, Amanda.”

  “You wouldn’t understand. It’s easy for people like you.”

  “People like me?”

  “You’re hot, and you have cool clothes, and you’re related to the hottest guy at school. I know he’s kind of on everyone’s hate list right now, but that’ll change, I guarantee, and he’ll be what he’s always been. With all you’ve got going for you, you’re gold.”

  Sasha gave that a lot of thought, all the way to the bakery, where they bought cookies and cocoa, and then as they walked back toward the school. She hadn’t been a loser at St. Michael’s, so why would she be a loser here? Sure, there was the handicap of being new, but if what Amanda said was true, she could be okay, have friends, be somebody again.

  And if that happened, she’d have Amanda right there with her, so Amanda wouldn’t be tempted by the Ravens’ fake promises. She glanced at her I Love the Eighties glasses. If she’d get some new frames, maybe wear some makeup, and ditch the whole unmade bed look, she’d be pretty.

  “So I was thinking, would you want to go with me to the basketball game tonight?”

  “I can’t. My dad gets off work at five, and I have to go home with him because I don’t have a car. Placerville is twenty miles away. And he won’t let me drive back because he’s paranoid about the road between here and there. It’s winding and icy in places.”

  “Maybe he’d bring you back, if you asked.”

  “Maybe. He’s always after me to be more involved at school. He’s Mr. Friendly, so he just doesn’t get how hard it is.”

  “My dad was like that. All my friends loved him.” They had turned off of Colorado and were close to the school when she said, “Why don’t you come home with me after school? We could work on calculus, and I’d loan you something to wear to the game tonight.”

  “Really? You’d do that?”

  “Sure, why not? I really want to go, but the idea of walking into that gym all by myself is freaky.”

  “Okay, I’ll come, and I’ll ask if my dad will bring me back for the game tonight.”

  Sasha was feeling a whole lot better about things when they walked back into study hall. Jax turned to look at her as she came in, but before she’d taken two steps toward him, Brett said in a loud voice, “Hey, East, did I tell you my cousin’s mom was deported because they found out she’s a Russian spy?”

  Would he never stop? Sasha was frozen to the spot, not sure what to say, what to do.

  With his dark gaze still on hers, Jax said, “If Sasha’s mom was a spy, the United States wouldn’t send her to Russia. They’d arrest her for treason.” He turned then and gave Brett a hard look. “Back off, Shriver.”

  “What the hell? You think you scare me?”

  “You should be scared. Lay off of Sasha.”

  Coach Hightower cleared his throat and waved at Sasha and Amanda to bring up the cookies and cocoa. “Come on, you guys, let’s have some sugar and get along, yeah?”

  Sasha moved toward the teacher’s desk, swallowing the lump in her throat. Jax had stood up for her, even though he’d said he intended to lay low, to attract as little attention to himself as possible.

  By the time sixth period, which was history, began, Brett’s reign as Top Dog at Telluride High appeared to be officially over. Now he was the one being shunned, by everyone except the other Ravens. Brody told Jax before class started, “I overheard some kids saying you threatened to beat up Brett if he doesn’t leave Sasha alone. They think it’s pretty pathetic that the new guy is having to defend her against her own family.”

  Brett had really stepped in it, but he was a lost soul, and an arrogant, spoiled brat, so he didn’t get exactly how deep he was until he said before history began, “Hey, Sasha, why don’t you tell Mr. Bruno about your dad getting shot by the Russian Mafia?”

  Thomas said, “Hey, Shriver, why don’t you shut up? Leave her alone and go back to your cave.”

  Half the class followed up, telling Brett just what they thought about him.

  Even Julianne’s handmaidens were looking at Brett like he was something they’d scrape off their shoe.

  That he looked genuinely surprised told the whole story.

  Mr. Bruno was frowning at him, although not for the same reason as everyone else. Brett was his golden ticket, the guy who was supposed to attract new followers for Eryx. Instead, the kid was making huge missteps that did just the opposite and turned people off.

  Jax had taken the seat right next to Sasha, hoping his proximity would remind her not to let her hatred of Bruno be too obvious. When class began, she kept her head down, sketching in her spiral while Bruno talked about the War of 1812. Just as he’d done every day, Jax paid close attention, looking for any hint the guy might drop about where he was going, where the Skia meeting might take place.

  Toward the end of his lecture, he said, “The final for this class is next Tuesday, so tomorrow and Friday, we’ll review the semester. I regret to say I won’t be here to give the final, but Miss Rose has agreed to be here instead.”

  Jax glanced at Brody and caught the slight nod of his head. He’d heard, and noted it. Bruno was going to be gone next Tuesday. They had less than a week to figure out where he was going and who was going to be there, make a plan for the take-down, and ask M to provide doppelgängers.

  He looked at Sasha and felt a little dizzy. Once Bruno was gone, they’d take out the lost souls he’d collected in Telluride, and after that, Jax would go back to the mountain and Sasha’d forget all about him. He’d waited a thousand years for her, and she would know him for less than two weeks. He would never forget her, no matter how much longer he lived. Another thousand years, a million years—it didn’t matter. He’d never forget Sasha.

  When the school day was finally over, Sasha and Amanda walked to the Shrivers’, Boo trotting along beside her. “This may sound a little weird, so
don’t freak on it or anything, but my aunt is kind of a bitch. She and my dad didn’t get along, so she sees me as more of him, I guess, and she doesn’t like me. If she’s rude, I’m apologizing in advance.”

  “It’s okay. My mom was mean, so I’m used to it.”

  “Maybe she won’t even be home. She’s been out of town and may not be back yet.”

  Unfortunately, Melanie was back. When they came in, she was in the family room, sewing a button on a shirt. Looking up, she smiled at Amanda. “Sasha, how nice. You’ve brought a friend home from school. How do you do? I’m Sasha’s aunt, Melanie.”

  “Hi,” Amanda said, clearly confused. “I’m Amanda Rhodes.”

  “Would you care for something to drink, Amanda? A soda, or maybe some hot tea?”

  “No, thank you.”

  Melanie never looked directly at Sasha, and the Carol Brady act was scaring the hell out of her. What was going on?

  She went to the stairs, Amanda just behind her, and cringed when Melanie said, “You girls have fun up there and just give me a shout if I can bring you anything.”

  When they were in her room, Amanda said dryly, “Yeah, Sasha, she was really horrible.”

  “I don’t get it. She’s been awful ever since I got here on Friday.”

  “Maybe she’s just being nice because I’m company.”

  “I guess so.” She sat on one bed and Amanda sat on the other while they did their calculus homework. When they were done, they went to the closet and started looking for something Amanda could wear to the game.

  Thirty minutes later, Amanda looked like a different person, wearing a pair of low-rise jeans and a soft white sweater that offset her dark hair and was perfect for her pale skin. She resisted makeup, but Sasha insisted, and when she was done, after she pulled part of her hair back into a loose braid, Amanda looked in the mirror and gasped. “You’re a miracle worker. I’ve tried makeup before, and different stuff with my hair, but I never looked like this.”

  The glasses didn’t even look that bad.