Chapter 769 The Truth About Josiah
Noctis was quiet for a moment, and Orion could feel him weighing his words carefully before speaking.
*It’s because of who Sophia is,* he said slowly. *And Orion, you should not forget that the black magic in Sophia is older than the one in Josiah. It’s something even her wolf didn’t notice. It will be more technical and more dangerous.*
Orion nodded. He already suspected that.
*The magic in Josiah was fresh,* Noctis continued. *It had not fully taken root. It was like a seed that had just been planted, though it had been there for a few years already. But the magic in Sophia… it has been there for over a decade. It has grown, spread, woven itself into her very being. Removing it will require more precision, more care. One mistake could be catastrophic.*
Orion was quiet, letting the words sink in.
*Being in the place where we know the goddess was buried would help. The shrine holds a connection to the goddess. Her presence still lingers there. It would act as an anchor, grounding us during the ritual. It would make the process safer.*
Orion was silent for a long moment, his jaw tight as he wrestled with the decision. Finally, he spoke, his voice heavy with reluctance.
’I hate to admit it, especially when it comes to that woman,’ he said slowly, ’but perhaps you’re right. We’ll use the shrine outside the pack.’
Orion straightened and turned to Brynhild.
“According to Noctis,” he said, “I have tomorrow to rest. Then the day after, I’ll attempt to get rid of the black magic that Victoria used on Sophia.”
Brynhild’s brow furrowed. “Why do you need a day to rest? Surely you can just do it tomorrow?”
Orion shook his head slowly. “Sophia’s case is different from Josiah’s. The magic in her is older and more technical. As much as I would want to satisfy everyone, myself included, and get rid of whatever hold Victoria still has on her, I can’t do that. Noctis is the one who knows best. And it would be in our best interests to listen to him. He’s the only one who has been able to observe black magic closely and understand how it works.”
Brynhild was quiet for a moment, processing his words. Then she nodded slowly. “I understand.”
Orion turned to Sophia, his expression softening. “I’m sorry I can’t do it faster, shorty.”
Sophia shook her head immediately. “I don’t even care. As much as I want to get rid of this, I know we have to be careful. And besides, I trust you and Noctis.”
Orion’s chest tightened at her words. He reached out and squeezed her hand, a silent thank you that she understood.
Brynhild sighed, the sound carrying a hint of resignation. “We can wait one more day then.”
She paused, then added, “I’m glad you were just exhausted and that you’re okay. From what I heard from Lysander, you almost gave my sister here a heart attack.”
“Lysander is a big gossip,” Sophia muttered under her breath.
Brynhild chuckled. “He tells me everything. And I listen too… except when it concerns his herbs. Then I pretend to listen.”
They all laughed at that, the tension easing slightly.
Ronan grinned. “Lysander also pretends to listen when it concerns fighting.”
Brynhild nodded. “That is true. He has no interest in fighting. He’ll nod along and smile, letting us speak for as long as we want.”
They all laughed again.
The laughter faded slowly, and Orion’s expression grew serious once more.
“That reminds me, how about Josiah? Is he okay?” he asked.
Sophia nodded. “He is. Ronan and I already interrogated him. Tomorrow, he will be returned to the dungeons, where he will remain.”
“Also,” Ronan added, “Josiah knows his family is dead now… though it would be more accurate to say he has always known but he refused to believe it, hence why it was a lie… I think. Anyway, Victoria fed him the delusion that they were not. According to Marta and Lysander, it’s a psychological condition in a way. He refused to believe his family was dead when they initially died. Driven by grief, he sought ways to make them recover, and that’s when he met Victoria.”
“But Victoria wasn’t alone,” Ronan continued. “She was with another woman. She wore a cloak, and she was quite old.”
Sophia nodded. “From the way Josiah described her, I suspect she’s the same woman… Selith, I think her name was… working with Victoria.”
Ronan picked up from where he stopped. “Josiah sought to run away when he saw them. He had come looking for his family, but he realized something was wrong at the last moment. And according to him, though Victoria may spend her days lazing around, she is also a warrior, and he was but a malnourished man, weak from grief. He was held down, and the woman beside Victoria—Selith—forced him to drink a tonic.”
“After that, he was made to believe his family was alive and that Victoria had them. He was made to repeat it until he believed it himself. And then he started taking instructions from Victoria, watching as she sought to destroy his pack further,” Sophia said.
Orion frowned, his brow furrowing in thought. “I am confused, though. How exactly did Josiah meet Victoria? Did she know he would be driven by grief and would seek his family out as if they were alive? This makes no sense to me. It’s… this can’t all be a coincidence, right?”
Sophia met his gaze. “I had the same thought. It didn’t make sense for it to be a coincidence. So I asked Josiah the same question.”
She paused, her voice dropping.
“Josiah admitted that he went to the Blood Moon Pack. He foolishly sought her out himself and exposed himself, claiming that if she killed his family, then she could bring them back. And it’s no surprise, really, that she used it against him.”
Orion’s frown deepened. “Exactly how much would one grieve to make them go seek their enemy out, offering themselves on a platter for a miracle that was never going to happen?”