Chapter 2

As soon as Asher left, the tension in the house finally eased.

Coraline hauled herself up from the floor, ignoring the blood smeared across her face.

Without warning, she spun around and slapped me hard. "Quit acting crazy, shameless bitch."

I wanted to dodge, but my body was still stiff after faking that seizure. The slap hit me square on.

Kayla rushed over, gripping the scissors tightly, and threw herself in front of me.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on her," she snapped. Her eyes flashed with fury, and she was like a wolf guarding her pup.

Coraline was startled by Kayla's glare, shrinking back a little.

Then, her embarrassment turned to rage. "You two are really crossing the line. Let me make this clear. You should count yourselves lucky that Asher wants you.

"One of you is marrying him in three days, no ifs or buts. Otherwise, we're all finished."

She shoved us into the woodshed, locked the heavy iron padlock, and left us trapped inside.

"You'd better reflect on your actions. If you don't get it through your thick skull, you'll go hungry," she yelled.

The woodshed was pitch black, and the musty smell of mold hung heavy in the air.

Kayla and I sat back to back on a pile of straw. Her hands kept shaking. It wasn't fear. It was hate.

"Anna, I don't want to die," Kayla whispered, her voice rough with emotion.

I gripped her icy hand. "Kayla, this time, we'll be the ones to end him."

Memories from my previous life came flooding back. I remembered the Quinn family's necromantic circle diagram.

*****

In the dead of night, the moon was swallowed by dark clouds, and gusts of chilly wind rattled the windows.

Kayla and I used bobby pins to pick the lock on the woodshed window.

This little trick was something I'd mastered in my previous life, back when I was locked up in the Quinn family's dungeon.

We set out for the Quinn residence. We weren't going there to die. We were going to hunt down Asher's weakness.

The Quinn residence stood on the western edge of the city, shrouded in a sinister, chilling atmosphere.

Instead of the usual coloured ribbon, dark ones hung at the entrance, casting a very glow.

Kayla and I scaled the wall and slipped inside.

The courtyard was deathly quiet, not even a single cricket chirping.

Phantom servants floated eerily around the courtyard. They were the Quinn family's patrol squad.

If they caught even a trace of a living person's energy, they'd shriek like banshees.

I grabbed Kayla's hand and led her through the courtyard, moving step by step along the pattern I remembered from my previous life.

We avoided every light gate, only taking the dark gates. Because in the Quinn family, the dark gates were the only way to survive.

We found our way to the hidden chamber in the backyard. In my previous life, this was Asher's off-limits territory. Even a fly wouldn't survive if it dared to enter.

The door to the hidden chamber was left half-open. From inside, a blood-red glow spilled out. The thick, metallic stench of blood slammed into us.

Right in the center sat a massive coffin. The whole thing was drenched in blood-red, like it had been steeped in blood for years.

The lid wasn't fully closed, just barely hanging there. A creepy portrait was slapped right on top.

The woman in the portrait wore a dress, her beauty soft and graceful. On the back of her neck was a vivid red birthmark. It was shaped like a butterfly in flight.

I'd never seen this woman before. But I knew she was Asher's beloved one. And she was the reason Kayla and I had a death sentence hanging over us.

Suddenly, we heard footsteps right outside the door. Kayla and I nearly jumped out of our skins, diving into the tall cabinet beside us.

Through the narrow gap in the cabinet door, I caught a glimpse of Asher and Coraline, Coraline.

Coraline sauntered in, her skimpy nightgown clinging to her curves, her hips swaying with every step.

She practically glued herself to Asher. "Honey, calling me over at this hour, do you miss me?"

Asher wrapped his arm around her waist, his hand wandering lower. "Yes, I missed you."

Coraline let out a coquettish laugh. "Those two girls just won't listen. Why not just tie them up and drain them dry? As long as it's pure blood, it makes no difference whose veins it comes from."

A chill ran through me. So Coraline had been having an affair with Asher all this time.

Asher grabbed Coraline's ass. "You really know how to play your cards right. Once I bring Mrs. William back to life, I'll take you for a trip."

Coraline laughed coquettishly, her voice sweet and teasing, "So, when will Mrs. William finally wake up?"

Asher glanced at the coffin, his eyes full of longing and obsession.

"Very soon. Just need the last two key ingredients," he replied.

Kayla and I desperately clamped our hands over our mouths.

Kayla's fist was clenched around a lighter, ready to blow this place up and drag everyone down with us if it came to that.

I held her hand and shook my head. If we burned it all now, we'd die right along with them.

I couldn't take my eyes off the portrait. That butterfly-shaped mark looked familiar.

Suddenly, it hit me. I'd seen it before, back when Coraline was bathing.

Coraline had the exact same butterfly birthmark on the back of her neck.