Chapter 515: Steps and Questions

Sophia looked crestfallen. The hope she had carried in her chest wavered and dimmed.

"I may not have an idea, but that doesn’t mean I’ll give up easily," Lysander told her. "I’ll make sure to experiment with everything we have. It may be some special herbs, but I’ll experiment until I get an answer."

Lysander continued. "And I’ll make sure I consult Madam Tyler too. For all we know, this may not be a medical tonic at all. It could be tied to black magic... or something else."

Sophia’s lips quirked faintly. She nodded. "I trust you will."

Lysander gave a curt nod.

But in his mind, he was already forming lists, mixing possibilities, imagining tests, imagining outcomes. Every herb, every bitter root, every green-tinted leaf he could name flashed through his thoughts. His brow furrowed, his lips pressed into a line, and his eyes never left Sophia.

Orion placed a hand on Sophia’s shoulders. "Shorty, rest easy, we both know he’ll try his best."

She smiled faintly at him. "I know that," she said.

Orion glanced toward the doorway. "Time to go then."

Sophia rose carefully, her movements deliberate. Orion stepped forward instinctively, leaning slightly as if to lift her, but she shook her head firmly.

"No. Just assist me while I walk," she said, her voice steady.

"Marta told you not to put pressure on your leg," he told her.

"I know that," she interrupted gently. "I just want to walk to the porch. You can carry me from there."

Orion’s gaze searched hers. Her eyes were unwavering. He gave a small nod. "As you wish," he said quietly, stepping to her side.

Brynhild rose from her seat too. "I’m leaving," she announced.

Lysander glanced at her. His lips pressed together. "I know. You have to scout the grounds."

Brynhild closed the distance between them quickly, almost in one step. She placed her hands lightly on his shoulders, leaned down, and kissed him on the lips. "Don’t overthink, love," she murmured. "I know how you get when there’s something you are trying to solve."

Lysander smiled faintly, his expression softening. "I’ll try," he said.

Ronan, who had been holding Raina, adjusted the baby in his arms and handed her back to Lysander. "I too have work to do," he said dryly.

Lysander accepted Raina with practiced ease and held her to his chest; she was a few seconds from falling asleep.

Ronan turned to Orion, a hint of mischief in his raised brow. "Am I going to have to run after you around the pack compound like normal before you start work?"

Orion shook his head. "No. I’ll just drop Sophia home. Then to the office. We need to start putting together the results from the placement test after all."

Ronan blinked, clearly in mild shock. Then he turned to Sophia. "What have you done to him?" he asked, a hint of incredulity in his voice.

Sophia shook her head, laughing softly. "It’s not me," she replied, amusement flickering in her tone.

Orion turned toward Ronan and lifted a hand, middle finger extended briefly, his expression calm. "You know I can be serious when I want to be," he said. "And this isn’t the time to skip work."

Ronan chuckled softly, lowering his gaze.

Sophia straightened herself, brushing the hem of her tunic with her fingers. "Can I tell the trainees that will be going on this mission myself?" she asked Orion quietly. "Most of my friends will be going, and I’d rather they hear it from me first."

Orion gave her a long look, one brow slightly raised. He reached forward, pressing a palm lightly against her forehead.

Sophia blinked in surprise and removed his hand. "What was that?" she asked him.

"I’m checking if you have a fever," Orion said evenly, his voice almost amused. "Since when do you ask me questions like that?"

Sophia rolled her eyes at that as Ronan chuckled.

"I was just being polite," she told Orion.

"You being polite, especially when it comes to me, is a disease... I’m not joking. You don’t ask me things like this, shorty, and honestly, I’d rather you not ask me at all. Do what you want to do," he told her.

"So next time I shouldn’t ask... noted," she told him.

"I’m not saying... no wait, all I’m saying is you normally don’t ask me things like this, so why are you asking me now?" he asked her.

"Because I felt like asking," she told him. "And maybe it was just a genuine slip from me."

Orion shook his head. "Please don’t scare me like that again, shorty. I thought you were sick for a while there."

"Fuck you, Orion," she told him.

"Anywhere you want, but I’d rather prefer it without an audience," he told her.

Sophia gave him a look of disbelief. "I didn’t say I was going to fuck you..."

"Okay, guys," Brynhild said, clapping her hands together. "I’d rather not like for my daughter’s first words to be ’fuck,’ so can we please take this conversation and the fucking elsewhere?"

"It really depends on Sophia," Orion said.

Sophia rolled her eyes so hard it felt like it was going to get stuck. "You are an oaf. A big one," she said to Orion, then stumbled her way to the door.

Orion smiled just as Sophia walked out the door and then turned to Brynhild.

"She’s better than she was when she saw the drawing," he said softly, then ran after Sophia.

Brynhild huffed a laugh under her breath at that.

"I have to say, love looks good on my brother," Ronan said, rubbing his non-existent beard.

"That is true," Lysander and Brynhild said with a chuckle.

---

While Orion was taking Sophia back to his home, the news that the results of the placement test would be announced the next day had spread among the examiners who were in charge of the tests.

Some had failed, and some had passed. And there were rumours that some people who were not expected to fail had failed, and one person in particular was not going to let that happen.

He faced the other person, eyebrow raised slightly.

"What is this I hear about two people in your team failing the placement test?"