Play or Perish (Arcane Auction Wars Book 1) by Paige Andrews & John Peragine

Author:Paige Andrews & John Peragine [Andrews, Paige & Peragine, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sterling & Stone
Published: 2025-03-25T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

“I don’t understand why we can’t just go to a movie,” Mom said.

I should never have stopped home. “Because I’m working.”

“Delivering junk to someone’s house.”

“I’m not delivering junk. This game cost $400.” Not that she needed to know where that $400 came from.

“Oh my.” Mom touched her cheek like the news cameras were rolling on her right now. “Isn’t it used?”

“You act like you’re too good for a daughter who works at Goodwill.”

“You act like your dropping out of college is helping you to achieve some sort of personal growth.” She couldn’t help but add, “And you’re also acting like you don’t work in a thrift store!”

She felt bad after that. So did I. We made it up to each other by making everything worse. I still couldn’t agree to go to the movie, not with so much on my mind — all the crazy haunted objects, the ghost phone and my missing clump of hair, that house last night, with Dad’s ghost or my mocking imagination, Kip thinking he’s better than everyone, Ariel only barely tolerating me, no matter how hard I tried.

So, Mom took me on my errands instead.

She drove me to Justin’s house first. I knew it was a mistake when we pulled up, thanks to the cinder blocks on my boots in the middle of a river feeling that settled into my stomach as Mom’s Mercedes kissed the curb.

Something was off. A faint echo of the arcane that I was beginning to recognize. Like learning a new language and hearing it in the wild for the very first time.

I hauled the crate up to the front door, refusing Mom’s help. It wasn’t that heavy, and I didn’t feel like looking ridiculous. I didn’t even want her to get out of the car, but she insisted that it was important to support me in my new career in a tone that sounded mostly like derision.

Justin opened the door before I could knock, and I saw that my mission had already failed.

“Go away.” He looked … different than before.

“I brought you a present.”

“I don’t want a present. I don’t want anything from you.” His eyes were wild and unfocused, his face gnarled into a scowl. He shivered in the doorway, his hair matted and disheveled … and growing down his face?

That seriously had to be my imagination.

“It’s the special crate from Mansions of Madness, second edition.”

“How did you find this place?” Justin radiated an aura of angry belligerence.

Mom stirred beside me, clearly uncomfortable and suddenly impatient.

Justin said, “This is my place. You don’t belong here.”

Mom touched my arm. “Maybe we should go.”

“Maybe you should,” Justin agreed, leaning forward so I could smell his reeking breath, hot and rancid, laden with the sharp tang of bile. “How would you like it if I just showed up at your house?”

Looking and smelling like that? I would hate it.

“Shondra. We should go.”

“I’ve got this, Mom.”

“That’s your mother? Why did you bring your mom to my house? You’re here to take my MoM, aren’t you?”

Mom was confused.

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