I married the Ghost King

I was getting married, but not to the living. I was marrying a dead man.

My mom, brother, and sister-in-law crashed the "ceremony," screaming that I'd lost my mind. Little did they know, in a month, the world would end, swallowed by monstrous horrors. And me? Marrying the leader of these horrors would make me the most powerful being in this broken world.

I'd be able to command the horrors, decide who lived and who died.

You see, I lived through this once before. I risked everything to save my family. And how did they thank me? They tied me up, drained my blood – human blood being the only thing that could repel the horrors, buy you time to escape – and then, as I lay dying, they tossed me to the monsters.

I was ripped apart, devoured, my last moments filled with regret. Then, I woke up a month before it all began.

This time, they would pay.

1

I stared at my reflection, tears streaming down my face. My relief was short-lived. The phone rang. Caller ID: Mom. The woman who condemned me to die.

Taking a deep breath, I answered. Her cheerful voice grated on my ears. "Honey, your sister-in-law's pregnant! We're cramped here. You're alone in that city apartment, right? Why not rent a place for a while and let her stay there?"

The same lie as last time. They’d take the apartment, then fake a miscarriage, blaming the stress of moving. I'd felt so guilty, so responsible.

But Jenny, my so-called best friend and sister-in-law, wasn't pregnant. They just wanted my apartment. Their logic? I'd get married eventually; my things shouldn’t go to some "outsider."

Mom's voice sharpened. "So it's settled. Bring the keys over."

A cold smile touched my lips. "Mom, that apartment won't do."

She shrieked, "What do you mean? Ashley, what are you playing at?"

"It's too small for the baby," I soothed. "I should buy them a bigger place. I wouldn't want my nephew cramped. Don't worry, I'll cover it."

Mom’s delighted laughter filled the line. "That's my girl! Always so thoughtful."

My smile widened, but the warmth didn’t reach my eyes. Thoughtful, yes. But not for them. Not anymore.

2

I hung up and started planning. How could I survive this time? Then, I remembered. The woman who'd saved me from the horrors moments before my family betrayed me. Nancy, from my old hometown. Her family was so poor, they’d married her off to a dead man – a ghost marriage.

Nancy told me that when the horrors came, she discovered she had powers like them. Her ghost marriage protected her, gave her control.

I clenched my fists. I'd do the same.

I emptied my safe. Only $2,000 and the apartment. My parents and brother had systematically drained my savings. Fury boiled inside me. A top-performing sales manager, reduced to this? How blind I had been!

I transferred the cash onto a card and called Mark, a friend who worked in mortgage lending. I told him I needed to borrow against my apartment.

"Ashley, everything okay?" he asked cautiously.

"Sort of," I replied. "I need the money ...