Chapter 726: The Truth Beneath the Lies
Chapter 724: The Truth Beneath the Lies
Josiah swallowed nervously.
His throat moved visibly, a small jerking motion that betrayed the calm he was trying so hard to maintain. His hands, still folded in his lap, had tightened, his knuckles pale beneath the skin. The torchlight flickered across his face, catching the sweat that had begun to form on his brow.
He opened his mouth.
"I didn’t..."
He didn’t even finish the sentence when Orion groaned loudly. The sound echoed off the stone walls, bouncing back at them from the dark corners of the dungeon, from the rusting iron bars of the empty cells nearby. He dragged a hand down his face, then let it drop to his side.
"I hate situations like this," he said.
He crouched down in front of Josiah, bringing himself to eye level with the man on the bench. The torches flickered, casting half his face in shadow, making him look like something out of the old stories—the ones parents told their children to make them behave.
"You know I hate lies. I react to them too," Orion said. "And I know you know because you were in the square when Sophia addressed the whole pack. You heard what I can do. You saw it happen too. So here’s what’s going to happen."
He pointed to the side, not looking away from Josiah.
"You see that woman there?" he asked.
Brynhild raised her hand and waved, a pleasant smile on her face. Her gaze was fixed on the wall in the cell like a hawk watching a mouse.
Orion continued, his voice calm, almost conversational.
"The last person who lied to me and annoyed Brynhild during an interrogation... well, you don’t want to know what happened to them. I can’t guarantee it’s a tale you would be able to listen to without throwing up."
He paused, letting the words settle.
"Brynhild is more brutal than I am. And almost everyone knows that. So I would honestly appreciate it if you told us the truth, so we can wrap this up and you wouldn’t suffer like the previous criminal we had..." He paused.
"Well, the one before the previous one," he said. "But as I was saying, I would appreciate it if you could tell us the truth so we can wrap this up quickly and I can go home and spend some time in the bosom of my mate."
He tilted his head, his eyes locking onto Josiah with an intensity that made the man shift on the bench.
"Let’s do this from the beginning," he said.
Josiah swallowed.
"Who are you?" Orion asked him.
Josiah was quiet for a long moment.
"My name is Josiah," he said finally.
Orion nodded slowly. "And what is your aim for being in this pack?"
Josiah turned to Annabeth immediately after Orion asked him the question.
His eyes were desperate now, searching her face for something—an ally, maybe. A way out.
"Are you going to let him harass me like this?" he asked. "You’re just going to stand there and watch?"
Annabeth’s hands shook. Her eyes were wet, tears gathering at the edges, threatening to spill down her cheeks. She took a step closer to the bars.
"Tell the truth," she said, her voice cracking. "Please. Just tell the truth. Answer their questions. Maybe this is all a misunderstanding. Please, Josiah. I’m begging you."
Her voice broke on the last word.
Josiah stared at her.
For a moment, something flickered across his face. Shame, maybe. Or doubt. Or the ghost of the man he used to be before whatever had happened to turn him into this.
Then he looked down at his hands.
He turned back to Orion.
"This is all a mis..."
He didn’t finish the words.
Orion growled.
The sound was low and deep, vibrating through the cell, through Josiah’s chest. The torches flickered. Dust drifted down from the ceiling.
Josiah swallowed again, his throat bobbing. He had never heard or felt something as threatening as this before.
Orion leaned closer, his voice dropping to a near whisper.
"Tell me the truth. What is your aim?"
Josiah was quiet. The silence stretched again, longer this time. Annabeth held her breath, hoping that this was all a misunderstanding.
Then Josiah spoke.
"I want to protect my family."
Orion’s eyes narrowed. "What family?"
Josiah’s voice dropped, barely above a whisper, like he was confessing a sin.
"My family. My wife. My daughter."
Annabeth frowned at that. She did not understand what Josiah was saying right now. Protect his family?
"What do you mean, Josiah?" she asked him.
"Exactly what I said," Josiah told her. "I’m trying to protect Fiona and my girl. I’m doing everything for them."
"Josiah," Annabeth said softly. "I don’t understand... Fiona... your family is no more. Why are you speaking like they are still alive?"
Sophia frowned at that because even in her vision, Josiah had said he would do anything for his family. And now Annabeth said they were dead?
Josiah’s head snapped toward Annabeth. His eyes were wild now, wide and desperate.
"They are not dead!" he shouted.
The words bounced off the walls.
"Victoria has them! They’re alive! She’s holding them somewhere, and if I just do what she asks, if I just help her get into this pack, she’ll give them back. She promised."
Annabeth shook her head. Tears were pouring down her face now, streaming over her cheeks and dripping off her chin.
"That’s a lie," she said. "I carried Gina’s body. I saw Fiona’s body. I was there when we buried them. They’re not alive, Josiah. They’re gone."
Josiah’s face twisted. His hands clenched into fists on his lap.
"You’re lying!" he screamed. "You’re lying! My family is alive! Victoria just captured them! They’re locked up in her dungeons!"
His voice cracked on the last word, breaking apart like something that had been held together for too long. The sound of it echoed through the dungeon.
The dungeon fell silent as everyone stared at the man behind bars.
