Free The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegen

away.
    “Sasha,” Melanie said breathlessly, smiling like she would if Santa Claus had come for supper, “this is Emil Bruno, Brett’s history teacher.”
    Mr. Bruno moved closer, skirting the table to walk behind her, coming to stand just to her right. He was scary. Not violent scary—something darker, more sinister. Like Alex.
    Her whole body was covered in goose bumps.
    He took the chair and sat down, entirely too close for comfort. Out of nowhere, completely unbidden, the Lord’s Prayer began in her head. Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. It freaked her out almost as much as this dark man sitting next to her. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven.
    She startled when he said in a smooth, silky voice, laced with the underpinning of an accent, “It’s a great pleasure to meet you, Sasha. What a delightful name. I once knew a Sasha. She was almost as beautiful as you, but dark-haired, and older.”
    A flatterer, just like Alex. He was always telling her she was beautiful, bright, and talented. He’d look at her sketches, because Mom showed them to him, and go on about how brilliant she was. She knew it was all fake. She never understood why her mom couldn’t see through his BS. Evidently, it wasn’t until he started pressuring her to hand over the stuff in the lockbox that she told him to get lost.
    Melanie said in a hushed voice, “Sasha’s mother was deported back to Russia, and Sasha wasn’t allowed to go with her, so we’re stuck with her until—”
    “That’s enough,” Tim said. “It’s no one’s business why Sasha is with us, and we’re not stuck with her. She’s our guest. Family. Back off.”
    Melanie smiled at Mr. Bruno. “As I was saying, that’s why Sasha is staying with us. She has no other family.”
    “Family is all around,” Mr. Bruno said. “The world is our family. Friends are our family. Don’t you feel friends are one of life’s most important elements, Sasha?”
    “Yes,” she murmured, trying desperately not to look at him, not to meet his eyes.
    Tim said, “We’re out of rolls,” and Melanie hopped up to fetch more. Footsteps sounded on the stairs. Brett and Chris were on their way.
    Incredibly, Sasha was glad. Anything to take Mr. Bruno’s focus off of her. Every muscle in her body was tensed, ready to catapult her out of her chair, away from this scary man. “Hey, Mr. Bruno!” Brett was clearly glad to see his teacher.
    Chris was less vocal. “Hey,” he said, jerking his chin up before he focused on the table. Sitting down, he reached for a baked potato.
    Tim ate another roll.
    Sasha watched Melanie deliver a fat, juicy steak to Brett’s plate. He cut into it and scowled. “It’s too done, Mom. You know I hate my meat too done.” He speared it with his fork and tossed it to the floor.
    Staring, Sasha was shocked.
    Melanie went to the stove and clucked while she set about preparing another steak, occasionally mumbling apologies. Un-freaking-believable! After Brett’s second steak went under scary—something darker, more sinister. Like Alex.
    Her whole body was covered in goose bumps.
    He took the chair and sat down, entirely too close for comfort. Out of nowhere, completely unbidden, the Lord’s Prayer began in her head. Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. It freaked her out almost as much as this dark man sitting next to her. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven.
    She startled when he said in a smooth, silky voice, laced with the underpinning of an accent, “It’s a great pleasure to meet you, Sasha. What a delightful name. I once knew a Sasha. She was almost as beautiful as you, but dark-haired, and older.”
    A flatterer, just like Alex. He was always telling her she was beautiful, bright, and talented. He’d look at her sketches, because Mom showed them to him, and go on about how brilliant she was. She knew it was all fake. She never understood why her mom