Moonlight In Chains (Trinity and Asher) novel Chapter 149

The packhouse was alive with movement, but it wasn’t chaos. It was the rhythm of preparation…controlled, focused, steady. After the relics had been found and secured, our focus shifted entirely to training.

The clearing behind the packhouse was bathed in the pale light of early morning. Dew clung to the grass, sparkling like tiny stars, and the air carried a crisp chill that made every breath feel sharp and clean. Asher, Kaelen, Kaelric, Gage, Arlo and I stood in a loose circle, facing each other, the sun catching on our marks and making them glow faintly. Even the air seemed different today…heavier, charged and almost alive.

“You’ll feel it soon.” Eryx said quietly, standing a few paces away from us. His silver eyes scanned the sky, then the forest beyond the clearing. “The Eclipse is close. It’s not just the calendar. The energy around us is shifting. The air itself tells the story if you’re paying

attention.”

I nodded, already sensing it. A low hum beneath the world, almost inaudible, but vibrating in my chest and up through my arms. My brothers noticed my pause and looked at me with curiosity, but they didn’t understand yet. The sensation was mine alone, an echo of the bloodline running through me stronger than anyone else.

Kaelen, my oldest brother, frowned. “You’re feeling it already?” His voice was calm but carried a hint of concern. “The Eclipse doesn’t usually announce itself this early.”

“I know.” I said softly, keeping my tone even. “But something’s different. The air… it’s heavy, almost like it’s waiting. Watching.”

Kaelric tilted his head, silver hair catching the sunlight. “Watching what?” He asked. “The shadows are gone. The relics are safe. Why would the air… wait?”

Eryx let out a long breath and stepped closer. “Because it’s not just the Eclipse coming. It’s the power itself. The moment it rises, the energy will be unpredictable. The air, the land, event the pack’s strength will feel it before we can see it. Trinity, you’ll feel it strongest. It runs in your blood. You’re the last true heir. That’s why this feels different to you.”

I swallowed hard. “Different how?”

He didn’t answer right away, just looked toward the edge of the forest where shadows of trees flickered unnaturally. The wind shifted without warning, carrying whispers I couldn’t place. Even the birds in the trees went silent.

Kaelen and Kaelric both straightened, reading the change in the atmosphere. Kaelen glanced at me. “If it’s that strong, we need to train harder. Push our limits while we can. When the

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Eclipse hits, we’ll need every bit of control.”

I nodded, pulling myself together. “Agreed. Let’s start.”

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The morning passed in focused energy. We practiced flowing with the mark’s power, synchronizing our movements, learning to pass energy between us in waves. Kaelen moved with precise, fluid motions, showing the control he’d held for years. Kaelric, though younger in experience than Kaelen, adapted quickly, picking up on cues and energy flows that even I struggled to feel.

Asher stayed close to me, his presence grounding me. “Feel it with me.” He whispered once during a drill, and I nodded. We moved in tandem, passing bursts of energy between our marks, letting it flow, letting it strengthen the bond. Every time we synchronized perfectly, a faint hum filled the clearing, vibrating through the soles of my feet.

Eryx watched us silently, occasionally stepping in to adjust positions or correct form. His energy rippled with tension, though, almost like he could sense the eclipse rising even stronger than I could. He didn’t speak of it often, but his glances toward the forest carried warning.

By midday, sweat and fatigue had begun to weigh on all of us. We took a brief rest, sitting on the grass and drinking water. The sunlight was high now, but there was something off. A shadow that passed without moving, an unnatural shade that drifted over the clearing for a moment before disappearing.

Gage frowned. “That was… strange.”

Kaelric nodded, tension creeping into his shoulders. “It shouldn’t be moving like that. Not in daylight.”

I felt it stronger. That hum in the air, the vibration beneath the ground, pulsing faster. The Eclipse wasn’t coming slowly. It was rising, and it was aware of us. I stood, brushing off my hands, trying to steady the energy racing through me.

“I can feel it.” I said quietly. “Closer than anyone realizes. The air… the world… it’s changing already. Something’s responding to me.”

Asher came to my side immediately, concern in his gray eyes. “Do you feel… sick?”

I shook my head. “No. Just… aware. Like the world itself is waiting for me to do something.”

Kaelen’s expression darkened. “We need to make sure everyone can handle it. If the Eclipse is coming, we can’t be caught unprepared. Not even a second.”

Kaelric stood as well. “Then let’s keep training. Feel it. Adapt. Work with it, not fight it.”

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So we returned to the drills, harder and faster this time. Eryx pushed us to combine our powers in tandem, passing energy between all six of us, synchronizing our marks to create a flow that could hold for minutes instead of seconds. Every time I felt the pulse of the Eclipes stronger, I adjusted, letting the energy flow through me instead of fighting it. Kasten and Kaelric followed, their movements almost instinctive, while Asher mirrored me perfectly, grounding me and keeping me from being overwhelmed.

By late afternoon, the clearing was alive with energy, the grass trembling under our feet, the wind whipping around us in gusts that came without warning. Small trees bent and swayed unnaturally, though none broke. Every sense was heightened. I could feel the pulse of power in the distance, the slow hum growing louder in my chest.

“Keep going.” Eryx said finally, his voice sharp. “Don’t stop. You’ll feel it stronger if you ease off now. Embrace it.”

I closed my eyes briefly and let the Eclipse’s energy wash over me, letting it mix with my mark and the marks of my brothers and Asher. It was overwhelming, but in a way that made sense, Pure power, raw potential, and the promise of chaos and creation all at once.

The wind shifted suddenly, and we all froze. A shadow passed through the clearing, fast, almost intangible, yet carrying intent. Something…someone…was moving toward us, aware of the energy we were drawing.

Kaelen’s eyes narrowed. “They’re testing us.” He said quietly. “Something knows the marks are here. Something is aware of the Eclipse.”

Kaelric tensed, fists clenched. “It’s early. It shouldn’t be this soon. But… yes. They feel it too.”

“It’s always testing us.” I said.

I felt the tremor in the air, a deep vibration that wasn’t just the Eclipse itself but a response. A predator, or an enemy, aware of the power we carried. My chest tightened, but I didn’t falter.

The sun began to dip toward the horizon, painting the forest in deep oranges and purples. Shadows lengthened unnaturally, twisting against the ground. The energy in the clearing pulsed stronger, vibrating with intensity.

Eryx stepped forward, voice low and tense. “This is just the beginning. They’re sensing you, Trinity. They know what you can do. And they’re not waiting for the Eclipse itself. They’re testing, probing. If you falter, they’ll strike.”

I swallowed hard, letting the energy course through me. Kaelen and Kaelric flanked me, their marks glowing faintly, ready. Asher was at my side, grounding me, ready.

The wind shifted again, sharp and sudden. From the tree line, a figure moved…fast, silent,

CHAPTER 149

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almost impossible to track. It stopped just at the edge of the clearing, shadowed and unseen clearly in the dim light.

“Wait. I don’t have another brother, do I?” I asked, causing Eryx to let out a sigh. But Asher

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