Anya's POV

“Who is he working with?” I ask Jerod.

I’d asked him for a favor to find the person sneaking around my home and trying to find information on me. I asked him to find out without alerting whoever it was. I didn’t want to frighten them. I wanted them to think that I had no idea that someone was trying to dig up information about me.

“Autumn Fawn.” He answers me. “She hired a private investigator to keep an eye on you. You were right all along. It was someone from the Fawns that wanted to find out more information about you.”

I narrow my eyes at the name. Autumn. I should have known she still didn’t trust me. While everyone else seemed to believe my lies, Autumn and Clarissa didn’t.

I was sure they were both working together to kick me out of Damon’s life. Autumn must still feel threatened by my existence. She was scared that Atticus would one day return to me.

I had to be extra careful from now on. I couldn’t give the private investigator anything that would seem suspicious to them. I had to feed them the wrong information from now on.

But by now, they knew I lived somewhere different than I claimed. It meant that I had to move. But I could use this to my advantage. Autumn or Clarissa will visit my home, hoping to find more clues.

I could set a trap for them. I’d already moved everything from the house. But I could have someone there that could trap them inside the house. I knew now that fire was an easy way to get rid of Clarissa after what happened in the forest.

This time, Damon won’t be around to save her. But if Autumn was there, that might make things a bit difficult. She would have the power to escape. I just had to find a way to keep Autumn busy. I’m sure I would be able to come up with something.

“Thank you for your help,” I whisper as I lean into him for a kiss.

He kisses me back passionately. “I hope this isn’t the only way you plan to repay me.”

I push him out of the house. “I have plenty of ways of paying you back. Don’t worry. I’ll come to your place tomorrow.”

It’s the one thing he asked me. I could easily give it to him. I have never been loyal to Damon. After he confessed that there was another woman in his heart, I knew that it had to be none other than Clarissa. I was surprised that he even admitted the truth to me. If I had any feelings at all for him, I would have been hurt. But I was far from it.

Jerod smiles, and I watch him leave. I roll my eyes as soon as I close the door. When I turn around, I’m surprised to see Willow. She watches me with curiosity.

“Is he someone that you’re dating?” she asks. Recently, she’s been very curious about my dating life. Especially after she saw me with Dante, I think she wants to know if I have a relationship with him or someone else.

Something tells me she hoped I was with Jerod and not Dante. After all, my sister hasn’t gotten over her crush on Dante. I felt sick whenever I thought about it. I would never allow her to be with a Fawn, especially not one I was close to.

I shook my head. “No. Just someone that’s doing me a favor.”

“Why do I feel like you’re hiding plenty from me?” she whispers. “Mother always kept me away from everything as well. It feels like you’re both scared of how I would react. I’m not a delicate flower. I can handle the truth.”

I sigh, “do not worry. This doesn’t concern you, and it never will. All you need to know is that I’m the one that will take care of you from now on. Whatever I’m doing, it’s all for you and mother. That’s all that I care about now.”

She holds her head suddenly, and her lips turn blue. I freeze.

This was not good. Please tell me this wasn’t happening again.

“Anya.” She croaks as she falls to the ground.

I rush to her side and pull her into my arms on the floor. “What’s wrong?” I demand as I touch her cheek.

Her skin was freezing like ice. It was even colder, if that was even possible. Since our mother’s death, this has been happening to her regularly. I wasn’t sure what was causing it. I pull her towards the warmer and wrap her body in a blanket.

“I’m c-cold.” She cries. I knew she was. I could feel it just by holding onto her. I hated seeing her like this and being helpless. I wanted to fix this; I wanted to heal her.

“Shh,” I whisper. “It’s okay. It will get better in a few minutes. I promise.”

I didn’t like this. Willow was the only family I had left. I had to protect her. It’s what my mother would have wanted. It’s what I want, to protect my sister.

“I’m scared.”

She was always the delicate one. The weak one between the two of us. She was kind and honest, everything that I wasn’t. She was the opposite of me. That’s probably why my mother always protected her more. She knew that Willow could get hurt easily because of her pure heart.

“I know,” I tell her as I hold her in my arms. “Nothing is going to happen to you. You don’t need to be scared as long as I am by your side. I will fix everything. I promise you.”

I meant those words. I was trying everything to find the cure. But first, I needed to know what disease this was.

I wasn’t sure what was happening to her. My mother never told me that she was suffering from any illness. However, I’ve always known how protective she was of her. Maybe she knew something that she never told me about Willow. My mother was always good at keeping secrets, but I wish she had told me the truth about this one.

How could I help her if I knew nothing about it, to begin with? I don’t think my mother expected to die. She thought that her plan to destroy the Fawns would have worked. Instead, she’s gone, and they’re still happy as ever. We’d accomplished nothing.

I couldn’t fail as she had done. I had to finish what she had started. I had people on my side. Witches that wanted to avenge my mother’s death. I was lucky that there were people that liked her out there. They were willing to fight with me. I just had to find the right opportunity.

After a few minutes of holding Willow close to me, her lips turn back to their normal shade of red. She opens her eyes then, and I can tell it’s over, at least for now.

“Why does this keep happening to me?” She cries. “Do you think I’m going to die?”

“Nobody is going to die.” I scold her. “I’ll get the money to find you a good doctor.”

When Damon marries me, I’ll also have access to his money. I will use that money to help my sister. I didn’t have anything to help her right now. I’ve never heard of anything similar to what she’s been experiencing, but I’m sure that there was a doctor out there that could help her.

Money could fix her; I was sure of it. As long as I had the funds, I would find a doctor to run tests on her.

In our world, money and power are everything. And the Fawns had both. I wasn’t only marrying Damon to destroy Clarissa’s life; I was doing it for my sister as well. I needed this. I needed his money.

“Are you in love with that man I saw you with?” She asks suddenly.

It was a shock to me that it would be the first question that she’d ask me after what had just happened.

I pause to look at her, “what man?”

“The one you were kissing.”

I inhale sharply, “he isn’t important.”

I couldn’t believe she’d brought him up again.

“And what about the other one?” She asks. “The handsome one.”

I already knew she was talking about Dante. She’s brought him up a few times since she first saw him.

I didn’t like how obsessed she seemed to be with him. What could I do to get her to forget about him? Something about how her eyes lighting up whenever we talk about him bothers me. I also feel like it’s not the first time my sister has seen him.

“I’m not in love with anyone,” I answer her. “Enough questions about love. It makes me sick. Love is for the weak, and I’m not weak.”

The only person I’ve ever truly wanted was Atticus, and that asshole broke my heart when he chose Autumn. I wasn’t allowing myself to get hurt by another man again. This time it was my turn to do the hurting. I was done getting hurt.