Right Hand of Evil (19 page)

But as the joint took effect and his eyes grew accustomed to the glow cast by the candle, the whole look of the room seemed to change. The rough surfaces of the planks that formed the room's walls softened, and the ceiling seemed to rise above them until it seemed there was no roof at all.

"Cool," Luke breathed.

"Shhh," Jared hissed. "Just let your mind go." He picked the second joint off the floor, lit it, and passed it to Luke.

The light in the room began to flicker and swell.

So, too, did the texture of the walls. No trace of the planks was left at all. Instead, the walls seemed to have turned translucent, with rainbows of color rippling through them. Then the walls-like the ceiling a few minutes ago-began to recede.

It seemed to Luke that they were in a chamber as huge as a cathedral, with a ceiling vaulted so high they could barely make it out. The walls were gold, set with stained glass in swirling patterns that made the light appear to move as it flooded through from somewhere beyond. In front of Luke something that looked like an altar appeared, above which-apparently floating in the air-was a woman.

A woman more beautiful than Luke had ever seen before.

She moved toward him, a silvery robe flowing around her, and as her feet touched the floor, she reached out, her fingers stretching toward him.

She knelt, and gently caressed his cheek.

"Touch me," she said in a voice that sounded like the most beautiful music he'd ever heard. "Touch me."

Hesitantly at first, Luke reached out to the perfect woman.

Her robe fell away, revealing the perfection of her firm flesh and her golden skin.

Luke's fingers touched the woman's flesh, and he trembled.

"I want you, Luke," the woman breathed, "like you want me…"

The vision of the woman blotting everything else from his consciousness, Luke Roberts let himself sink into an ecstasy such as he'd never felt, and knew that when it was over he would be changed forever.

"Yes," he breathed. "Oh, God, yes…" As Luke surrendered to the pleasures of the perfect woman, Jared Conway watched. Watched, and smiled.

October

Sandy Engstrom eyed Kim Conway anxiously. Over the last few weeks-ever since Kim had asked if she could sit at Sandy's favorite table in the St. Ignatius cafeteria-the two of them had become best friends. Sandy had been surprised that first day, because only the day before Kim had hardly spoken to anybody but her brother.
Her gorgeous brother,
Sandy amended to herself, though she'd been careful not to let Kim know that she'd developed a crush on Jared Conway the minute she saw him. In fact, the main reason she'd been friendly toward Kim was in the hope of meeting Jared. But by the end of that first lunch, she knew she'd found someone to replace Melissa Parker, her best friend since kindergarten, until Melissa moved to New Orleans just before school started. As for Jared, Sandy's crush on her new friend's brother had faded almost as quickly as it had come over her. Maybe if he hadn't started hanging out with Luke Roberts…

But he
had
started hanging out with Luke, and as far as Sandy was concerned, anyone who was a friend of Luke's was off her list, if for no other reason than the way Luke had dumped Melissa Parker last year. He hadn't even had the guts to tell her he was breaking up with her himself. Instead, he'd invited Dawn LaFrenier to the homecoming dance, and by the time Melissa found out, it was too late to get another date. Sandy hadn't had a date, either, so the two of them went to the movies that night, and struck Luke-and all his friends-off their list of boys they'd have anything to do with. And just because Melissa was gone, Sandy wasn't about to reinstate Luke Roberts to her list of friends.

Fortunately for Kim, the stigma Jared carried because of his new friend didn't extend to her. Since that first day almost six weeks ago, the two girls had been having lunch together every day, and studying together at Sandy's nearly every afternoon. So far, Kim hadn't invited her over to the Conway house, and although Sandy was curious about it, she still wasn't sure she actually wanted to set foot in it. In fact, she'd even wondered out loud a few times if Kim wasn't afraid to live there.

"Why should I be?" Kim had asked. "I mean, it's not like it's haunted or something." The look on Sandy's face had given her away, and Kim groaned. "You don't believe all those stories about my dad's aunt and uncle, do you?" When Sandy reddened, Kim sighed in exasperation. "It's just a house! And it's been empty for a long time, but just because Luke Roberts thinks it's haunted doesn't mean it is."

The invocation of Luke's name had been enough to keep Sandy from repeating all the old rumors, but she wasn't convinced there was nothing to them. Of more concern to Sandy, Kim appeared oddly distracted at times. Sandy was convinced that there was something Kim wasn't telling her.

"Kim?" she said now. "Are you okay?" They were sitting in the pizza parlor around the corner from St. Ignatius, having sneaked away from the cafeteria rather than face the nuns' macaroni and cheese one more time. "You look like you're worried about something."

In fact, Kim was. Worried about what would happen if the sisters caught them out of school. But even more than that, she was worried about Jared. She knew, though, how her friend felt about her brother-or anyone else Luke Roberts knew-so she shook her head. Besides, even if Sandy might be sympathetic, she didn't know exactly what to say. She'd felt more cut off from Jared as the days passed until now it seemed she didn't have a brother anymore, let alone a twin.

"I'm fine," she replied, but seeing that Sandy wasn't convinced, she cast around in her mind for something that might satisfy her. "Actually, I was sort of wondering what excuse you were going to give me when I invited you."

Sandy cocked her head. "Invite me to what?" she asked. "And why would I say no?"

"A sleep-over on Friday," Kim said casually. She waited, then added: "At my house." As she'd been sure it would, a shadow of apprehension clouded her friend's face. "You're not scared, are you?" Kim asked with exaggerated innocence.

"N-No," Sandy answered, a little too fast. "I just-"

"We'll rent horror movies and pretend it's Halloween, even though it'll be two nights early. We can…" Her words died on her lips at the look on Sandy's face, which was enough to tell Kim who must have come into the pizza parlor. Luke Roberts's voice confirmed it.

"Hey," he said, coming up the aisle on one side of their table and sliding onto the banquette next to Kim, while Jared crowded in next to Sandy on the other side of the table.

"What's going on?" Jared grinned at his sister. "How come you guys didn't invite us along when you snuck out?"

Kim saw Sandy's eyes fix coldly on Luke Roberts, and realized, to her horror, that she was staring at her brother exactly the same way. She looked at him carefully, studying his face. His features-everything about him-looked exactly the same as ever. But it just didn't
feel
the same. All her life she'd felt the Twin Thing-that deep link with her brother-which had always let her know that no matter what else happened, he was always there.

Now he wasn't.

She just didn't
feel
him anymore. Kim sighed inwardly. Maybe it was just something she had to forget about. Maybe it was just that they were both growing up.

She was jerked out of her reverie by… what?

Something had touched her leg! Then she felt Luke Roberts's thigh pressing against hers. She turned and glared at him. "Could you just move over?"

Luke rolled his eyes scornfully, but he pulled away.

"And keep your hands on the table," Kim told him.

"Jeez," Luke groaned. "What is
with
you?"

Kim gave him a cold smile. "Not you!" she said.

Across from Kim, Sandy Engstrom was acutely aware of Jared Conway's presence next to her. She'd seen him when he first came in, and when their eyes met, the strangest feeling had come over her.

As if he'd looked right inside her.

But not just looked in. It seemed he'd reached into her, actually touched her. She'd felt a rush of heat and her skin broke out in goose bumps. And right away-even before he'd started toward her-she'd known he would sit next to her.

Now, with his body pressed against hers, the goose bumps were back, and she could once again feel that delicious heat.

What if Jared asked her out?

Should she go?

Sandy shivered with excitement as she began to think about the possibilities.

I don't believe it!
Kim thought as once again Luke Roberts's fingers touched the skin on her leg. Giving Luke a hard enough shove that he almost fell off the banquette onto the floor, she slid out of the booth. "Let's get out of here," she told Sandy. "We've only got ten more minutes, and I have to stop at my locker."

"What's the big hurry?" Luke protested. "Come on-we just got here!"

"Maybe you don't care if we get caught, but I do," Kim snapped. "This was a stupid thing to do in the first place!" She headed toward the door, refusing even to glance back.

Sandy followed her, but at the door, turned to look back at Jared. His eyes locked on hers, and once more she had the strange feeling that he was reaching right inside her, sending a warmth through her that made her almost tremble with pleasure.

Like he's making love to me,
she thought.
It feels like he's making love to me.
Doing her best to control her emotions-and praying no one would notice her deep blush-Sandy hurried after her friend.

Suddenly, she could hardly wait for the sleep-over at Kim's house.

The pizza parlor had emptied out twenty minutes ago, but so far Jared showed no sign of being ready to leave. Luke Roberts was starting to get nervous. Very nervous. For ten years-ever since he'd started at St. Ignatius, when he was five years old-he'd lived in fear of the wrath of the sisters. He'd first learned to fear their swift brand of retribution when Sister Katherine rapped his knuckles with a ruler for passing a piece of chewing gum back
to
one of his friends, sitting behind him. His hand had bled for the rest of the day, but Sister Katherine wouldn't even let him go put a Band-Aid on it. "If Jesus didn't ask for Band-Aids on the Cross, I think you can stand a little cut on your knuckles, Luke," she'd told him. The rest of the class giggled at the way she talked about Jesus on the Cross, but a single look from the nun silenced them, and Luke burned with shame when the pain in his knuckles made him cry. If Jesus hadn't asked for Band-Aids, he sure couldn't have cried, either. But he'd learned his lesson, and never tried to pass another piece of gum.

He'd also learned not to talk during class, and to stand up next to his desk when he answered a question.

And he'd learned not to be late.

He made that mistake in sixth grade, when Sister Michael was his teacher. Sister Mike-the only nun who let the kids shorten her name-had made him stay after school and write on the blackboard.

I
waste my time when I'm late.

I waste the class's time when I'm late.

I waste Sister Michael's time when I'm late.

He'd written the three sentences a hundred times, and when he was done, he vowed never to be late to class again.

And he hadn't, until today. Now he glanced at the clock, trying not to let Jared Conway see him doing it. But Jared seemed almost as good as the sisters at knowing what he was doing.

"What's the matter?" he asked now. "Afraid Sister Clarence is going to make you stay after school?"

"No," Luke replied, knowing he'd spoken a little too fast.

Jared's eyes clamped mockingly onto his own. "'I waste my time when I'm late. I waste the class's time when I'm late. I waste Sister Michael's time when I'm late,'" he parroted, as if reading the words off the blackboard.

Or out of his own mind, Luke thought.

How? How'd he know? He thought back over the last few weeks, when he'd been spending almost all his time with Jared Conway. Had he told Jared about that afternoon when he was in Sister Mike's class?

He must have.

But he hadn't-he was almost sure of it!

How had Jared known?

"I can read your mind," he told Luke the day after they'd smoked the joints in Jared's basement room, when Luke had the weird hallucinations.

Hallucinations that were still so vivid, even weeks later, that he could hardly believe they'd been hallucinations at all. Just last night, before he went to sleep, he'd even imagined he felt the touch of the woman who appeared that night, stroking his cheek and letting her fingers trail down over his neck and chest, caressing his stomach, then reaching lower and lower until-

"Maybe you better go into the men's room," Jared drawled, slouching back in the booth and leering suggestively at Luke.

Luke felt his face burn, and shoved the memory out of his mind. Then he looked at the clock again.
Sister Clarence is gonna kill us,
he thought.
This time she's really gonna kill us.

Jared grinned at him, and winked. "Well, we wouldn't want Sister to kill us, would we?" he said. Laughing, he slipped out of the booth and headed for the door.

As Luke followed, he found himself wondering again if it was really possible that Jared could somehow read his mind.

Sister Clarence stopped speaking as the door to her classroom opened and the two boys walked in, led by Jared Conway. A cold knot of anger formed inside her as she gazed at her newest student, and-not for the first time-immediately begged her savior for forgiveness for her failings.
I know I should love all the children,
she silently prayed,
but I cannot love Jared Conway.

She'd thought about it many times over the past six weeks. Late at night, when she was alone in her tiny cell on the third floor of the convent next door, she occasionally blamed herself for the change in the boy. Perhaps she'd been too hard on him that first day, when he passed the note to his sister, but she'd learned years ago that when children arrived at St. Ignatius from public school, it was never too early to begin challenging the laxity of their habits. That nothing was demanded of the children was the worst failure of the public schools. Not that their parents were much better than the teachers, for the most part. But at St. Ignatius, lack of discipline-mental, physical, or moral-was simply not tolerated, so when she'd caught the Conway twins misbehaving on their very first morning, she hadn't hesitated to discipline them. And Kimberley had certainly responded well. The girl settled right into the routine of the school, and immediately made friends with exactly the right sort of girl-Sandy Engstrom was one of Sister Clarence's favorites.

But the boy was another story entirely. On the surface, Jared seemed unchanged. He was still the handsome boy who had walked into her classroom with his sister, a friendly smile on his lips, a strand of his dark curly hair falling over his forehead.

But something about him had certainly changed. It wasn't something Sister Clarence could quite put her finger on-and her inability to identify the difference troubled her. She found herself dreading his arrival in her classroom, and upbraided herself for it, but despite her efforts to exorcise the demon of anger, it still resided within her. In fact, it was growing stronger every day, and as she saw the effect that Jared was starting to have on Luke Roberts, the demon's strength increased. Now, as her class fell silent waiting to see how she would deal with Jared Conway, she struggled with the demon.

She wished to be fair.

She wished to be just.

He knows what I'm thinking. He knows, and even though it doesn't show in his face, he's laughing at me!
The demon anger raged inside her, but she held it firmly in control. "Don't bother to sit, Jared," she said as he moved toward his seat. He stopped as her words struck him, but showed no sign of feeling the sting she'd injected into them. "Or you, either," she added as Luke Roberts slouched toward his desk. Though her words were directed at both the boys, her eyes remained on Jared Conway, held by his gaze like-

Like a mouse staring into the eyes of a coiled cobra.