Chapter 1

My sister, Kayla Larson, and I both wanted to marry the necromancer, Asher Quinn.

I was naturally attuned to dark magic.

The first time, I married him, thinking it would bring wealth and glory.

But he locked me inside a necromantic circle and drained my heart's blood day and night to feed his familiar.

When I was on the brink of death, he coldly wiped the blood from his hands. "I never wanted to marry you. You're far too greedy. Since you're here, do me a favor."

I died a miserable death inside that necromantic circle.

The second time, I did everything I could to match Kayla, who was naturally attuned to light magic, with Asher. "Kayla, Mr. Quinn loves you with all his heart. He will protect you completely."

Half a year later, Kayla was dumped by the roadside, with her eyes gouged out and her hair entirely gray.

She reached for the hem of my clothes, sobbing. "Anna, Asher is a demon. He borrowed my lifespan to save his first crush. He said it's a blessing that I could die for him."

That night, Kayla passed away.

The third second, I watched as the Quinn family delivered a marriage proposal.

Kayla and I clutched each other, trembling and crying.

This wasn't a wedding at all. It was the Grim Reaper coming to call our names.

*****

Kayla and I were collapsing on the floor. In front of us was a towering pile of wedding gifts.

Jewellery gleamed, and rolls of silk shimmered in the candlelight.

All of it glowed with an eerie, unnatural sheen under the flickering flames.

Coraline Larson, our stepmother, was beaming as she reached out to grab one of the ruby necklaces.

But as soon as her fingers touched it, the necklace broke.

It turned out that it was just cursed. Inside, it was inscribed with spells.

Coraline paused for a moment, then her smile got even bigger. "Wow, Mr. Quinn really went all out. He even sent us dark offerings. This means our family's going to be rolling in wealth for generations."

Kayla and I shot each other a look. We could see a chill in each other's eyes that cut right to the bone. It was the kind of terror only someone who'd died could ever feel.

Now, this was our third time around.

The Quinn family's butler stood at the doorway. His face was very pale, clean-shaven, and he seemed to float, his heels never touching the floor.

In his hand, he held two marriage match letters.

His voice was eerily cold as he spoke. "Mr. Quinn says both Ms, Larson are outstanding. Mr. Quinn is merciful. He's not picky. Which one would like to go to the Quinn residence and enjoy the good life?"

Coraline's gaze flickered between us as she calculated her options. It was like she was eyeing two slabs of pork, ready to sell us to the highest bidder.

She said, "Kayla, Anna, this is a huge blessing."

Before she could finish, Asher Quinn walked in.

He wore a dark green suit, absently twirling the crystal ball in his hand.

He looked cultured and gentlemanly, but his eyes were like a snake's.

With a sly smile, Asher said, "So, which one of you wants to marry me?"

In my previous life, I would've thrown myself at him by now.

But now, I suddenly rolled my eyes back, foaming at the mouth. I started convulsing wildly on the floor, like I was being electrocuted.

As I spasmed, I howled, "I have epilepsy. It's hereditary. When I have an attack, I bite people."

I snatched up a live chicken nearby and bit down hard on its neck. Chicken blood splattered all over my face.

Asher's brows drew together sharply in disgust as he stepped half a pace back.

Then he turned to Kayla.

Kayla took it up a notch. She grabbed a pair of scissors from the table and started chopping her own hair in wild, uneven chunks.

Long locks hit the floor, jagged and messy, making her look like some crazy hag.

Her eyes bulged with wild terror as she pointed straight at Asher and shrieked, "There's a freaking ghost. I'm cursed. My mom died because of me, and I'll bring doom to the whole family.

"Whoever marries me is doomed, with no kids, no grandkids, just endless bad luck."

Coraline was so scared that she just stood there, frozen, dropping the jewellery and letting it spill everywhere.

The forced smile vanished from Asher's face. His gaze turned deadly, the air thick with killing intent. Suddenly, the room felt icy cold.

His crystal ball rattled in his hand, the sound sharp and unsettling. "Mrs. Larson, is this your idea of well-raised daughters?"

Coraline collapsed and bowed deeply, terrified. She pleaded, "Please calm down, Mr. Quinn. These two girls are always well-behaved. Something must've wrong today."

Kayla and I kept up our act, each one trying to outdo the other.

I was foaming at the mouth, eyes rolled back in my head.

Kayla was waving the scissors around, acting like some crazy shaman.

Asher let out a cold laugh and slapped the wedding letter right across Coraline's face. The paper was sharp as a knife, cutting her cheek.

He sneered, "I need a wife. Even if she's dead, the marriage stands. In three days, I expect to see my bride. Otherwise, none of the Larson family will survive."

With that, he turned and walked out.

The butler gave us a creepy grin.