Chapter 2

I went through all my belongings and quickly topped off my car's gas tank.

With just ten days left before the snake apocalypse, I had to get everything ready fast and rush back to my shelter.

My parents were medicinal herb farmers. They raised Wren and me by growing herbs. Balsam and senna were the ones we had the most of.

After they died in a car accident, I took fifteen-year-old Wren to the city to try and make a living, but I just couldn't let our family's land go to waste.

Every month, I sent money to hire someone to keep planting those herbs and flowers. The ones we didn't sell got stocked up in my basement, just in case we ever needed them.

In my previous life, when the whole country fell into chaos, the snake-repelling powder was scarce, and countless people were devoured by giant snakes.

Balsam filled the air with a sulfurous scent, and senna's aroma drove snakes off in a heartbeat. Both were top-notch snake repellents.

Remembering the stash of balsam and senna in my basement, hope flared inside me. I was determined to bring Wren home right away.

I couldn't help but think that my memories of my parents had saved our lives.

But I never imagined Wren would be so cold-blooded, abandoning her own sister and handing over the survival chance I fought so hard for to Henry, a guy she'd barely known for a year.

When I thought about all the years I'd taken care of her, a wave of anger burned through me.

This time, I wouldn't waste another second on Wren, and I would make sure Henry never got to take advantage of me again.

I would throw them to the snakes with my own hands, so they could taste what it was like to be ripped apart by thousands of black serpents.

I forged a bunch of fake loan papers and recruited a few burly guys to act like mafia thugs.

I also placed a local order for twenty pounds of bloody raw pork and thirty moles.

These were the snakes' favorite delicacies, the last present I would ever give her.

*****

Wren opened the door, and her face fell when she saw I was empty-handed.

"Where's the amulet I asked you to buy? Don't tell me you forgot. Seriously, have you ever met a sister as stingy as you?" she snapped.

I shot her a look. "Oh, so you're the generous one? When was the last time you bought me anything?"

She stood there, chin up, totally unfazed. "You're older than me. Why would I be the one buying you stuff? Nova, are you losing your mind or something?"

Yeah, I was older than her, but only by three years. She was already 28 now.

I had busted my ass all these years to put her through college. I never expected her to make bank. I just hoped she'd get a job and help out with the household expenses.

But she always had something to complain about. Either the pay was too low, or the work was too exhausting.

I knew it was tough to find a job these days, so I never pressured her. But I never imagined she'd just lie around at home, gaming all day, and still expect me to hand her 1,500 bucks every month for living expenses.

If that still counted as stingy, then there wasn't a single generous soul left in this world.

I shoved past her, only to see Henry sprawled on the couch in nothing but his boxers.

He was gaming away, the coffee table littered with shells, banana peels, and chicken bones. He looked like he owned the place.

Wren caught me staring at Henry and instantly tossed the designer wool shawl my colleague gave me over him, glaring at me. "Nova, why are you staring at Henry like that? Don't tell me you're crushing on him. He's my boyfriend."

Henry let out a smug laugh and wiped his greasy hands on the shawl, looking ridiculously pleased with himself.

I was fuming. I was crushing on him? No way.

He was skinny, and his fingernails were caked with black grime and grease. Just looking at him made my stomach turn.

Henry, completely ignoring everyone else as he gamed, finally looked up and pulled Wren into his arms.

"Wren, what nonsense are you talking about? I can't stand her vibe. You're the only one I want," he said, grinning.

Wren giggled and fell right into his arms, blushing. "Honey, you're so sweet."

Like they were marking their territory, they started making out right in front of me.

If I didn't have to play along, I would've thrown up on the spot.

After they finally broke off their kiss, Wren turned to me and barked, "You've got one more day. I want to see a pair of amulets, and don't even think about using that 'I'm broke' excuse to try and fool me."

I hid my disgust and said, keeping my voice icy, "I helped a colleague borrow 300 thousand from a loan shark, and with the interest snowballing, it's almost a million now.

"Forget about buying you a peace lock. I can't even afford the gas to go home for the holidays."

I pulled out the loan papers and IOUs I had ready. "You're my sister. Shouldn't you be pitching in, at least a little?"

Wren finally pulled herself away from Henry, still frowning, and snatched the loan papers right out of my hand.

Henry dropped his phone, staring at me in disbelief.

"Nova, how could you owe that much money? How am I supposed to marry Wren now? She said you were covering the wedding and the new place," he blurted out.

Seriously? Wren actually expected me to pay for their whole wedding? That was hilarious.

But I kept up the act. "I'm about to lose my mind with these debt collectors breathing down my neck. Where am I supposed to get the money for your wedding?"

Wren lost it, ripping the IOUs to pieces.

"Nova, you're just messing with us, aren't you? You're a star student from a top university. How could someone as smart as you fall for an online loan scam? I bet you just don't want to spend a dime on me," she yelled.

Just then, there was a sudden pounding on the door.

I feigned panic. "See? The debt collectors are at the door."

Wren shot me a suspicious look.

She snorted, swung the door open, and sneered, "Who are you trying to fool? I want to see what kind of stunt you're pulling—"

Before she could finish, a loud slap landed hard across her face.