Magic Mansion by Jordan Price (best fiction books to read .txt) 📕

“Red Team,” Monty said cheerfully, “or should I say, ex-Red Team…how do you feel about Kevin making that decision without consulting you?”

Jia let go of John’s hand, tipped up her chin, and said, “It wouldn’t be the first time, Monty. There was a reason Red Team lost almost every challenge. It carried its deadweight right at the helm. I say good riddance to the Red Team. I’m better off without it.”

“Strong words. And what about you, Professor?”

As diplomatically as he could, John said, “Now, it’s every man…and woman…for themselves. We’ll see how it all plays out.”

Iain called out, “Let’s get a shot of you throwing your medallions in a pile over there on that green patch of grass.” The magicians arranged themselves in a semicircle and did so. The red-ribboned medallions were pitched in first…but Sue, Bev and Ricardo couldn’t seem to let go of theirs. Sue sniffled back a tear. And then Bev stifled a sob. Soon Ricardo was hugging them both and kissing their hair, while Jia tapped her foot and Kevin Kazan rolled his eyes. Cameras circled them for a minute or two, but finally Iain said, “Come on, kids, chill out. Nobody died here. You’ll get to keep the damn medals.”

Sue shot him a disgusted look, but then she obediently stepped forward and dropped her gold-ribboned medallion into the pile. Bev pitched hers forward in an awkward underhanded toss. And Ricardo stood with his medallion in his hand one final moment, gazing at it thoughtfully. He kissed it, and dropped it onto the pile.

Yes, indeed, John thought. Every man for himself.

Chapter 28

SPECIAL SURPRISE

“Red Team is gone,” Monty told the magicians, “and Gold Team is gone, and instead the strongest half of the contestants remain—three women, and three men, each of you with a very good chance of making it into the Final Four. The former Red Team won the privilege of deciding your fates…for all of you. But in doing so, they’ve not only done away with the teams…because, you see, there’s a twist.”

Just when John had assumed things couldn’t get any worse. Two more weeks, he told himself. Hang in there two more weeks.

“The power to decide whether to play in teams or singles wasn’t the only prize up for grabs in this challenge. There’s a second reward at stake.”

Monty turned to the scoreboard, and immediately, all the letters and numbers began scrolling and flashing into random characters as the board rearranged itself. When the cameras had all the footage they needed, Iain signaled to a gaffer who pressed a single button, and when the lettering unscrambled, the board read as follows:

TIGER TRAINER CHALLENGE

1. Professor Topaz: 3 − 3 − 3 (Total 9)

2. Sue Wozniak: 2 − 3 − 3 (Total 8)

3. Ricardo the Magnificent: 2 − 3 − 2 (Total 7)

4. Kevin Kazan: 2 − 1 − 2 − 1 (Total 6)

5. Jia Lee: 1 − 2 − 3 (Total 6)

6. Math Wizard: 1 − 2 (Total 3)

“Since there are no longer teams, the Magicians who will receive the second prize are the top three scorers: Ricardo, Sue, and the Professor. Kevin, it looks like your own strategy has served you poorly yet again.”

“I don’t care ’bout no dumb-assed challenge reward,” Kevin said belligerently. “I’m here to take the top prize. Everything else is weak. Think you can distract me with some stupid dinner, some shopping spree? Nuh-uh. I’m better off finishing this competition myself.”

“All right, Magicians,” Monty said, “you’ve worked hard today. Go get some rest. Later this week, the top three will get their special surprise…and then you’ll all compete in an elimination challenge.”

John walked back to the mansion numbly, losing himself among crew so he didn’t need to figure out which contestants he should or shouldn’t talk to, and what he should or shouldn’t say. Though it was awkward when the stylist who usually did his hair fell into step beside him said, “You’re not seriously sixty-three, are you? I’d put you at fifty. If that.”

“Clean living,” he told her. And Casey would have laughed himself silly at that, given that they would snort, smoke or swallow whatever their friends put in front of them—though neither of them were enamored enough with the party drugs to take their relationship with them anywhere past a simple flirtation. Ah, Casey. You’d have plenty to tease me about over this fine mess.

Too easy, babe. It’s like shooting fish in a barrel. You give me scads of ammunition by taking everything so damn seriously. 

“Good genetics,” the stylist said. “Men inherit their hair from their maternal grandfathers.”

John had never known any of his grandparents, but he wondered if Rose would have been pleased to hear it. You could never tell with her. Although she considered Guam a dirty word, and every reference to it was taboo, occasionally she seemed as if she regarded her heritage with a certain truculent pride. He veered away from the stylist, planted himself at the bar, and set about helping himself to the very good scotch, though he supposed he should be careful not to overindulge. He didn’t want to roll into his room stinking drunk and give Kevin a chance to erode his confidence even more.

Or to let Kevin provoke him into revealing a Truth that couldn’t be un-shown.

“There you are.” Marlene parked herself beside John as he swirled the remains of his first drink around the bottom of his glass and did his best to talk himself out of a second. “Somehow I imagined that the guy who crushed the competition and rid himself of team leader Kevin Kazan all in one fell swoop would look a little bit happier. What gives?”

“It’s just nerves,” John said. “The stress of the unknown. Nothing I can’t handle.”

“You should be celebrating the fact that you made it this far and not drowning your sorrows.” She considered her next words for a moment, and the plunged ahead. “Initially, you were picked for the show because we had a race