Chapter 152 CHAPTER 152
The training grounds were already soaked in morning heat, even though the sun had barely climbed high enough to clear the tree line. Dust clung to the air, kicked up by boots and scorched earth, and the scent of sweat and magic lingered like a storm that refused to break.
Liam stood at the center of it all.
His shirt clung to his back, dark with sweat. His arms trembled as he lifted one hand again, fingers spread wide, jaw clenched so tightly it ached. He drew in a breath, slow and deliberate, trying to steady the chaos buzzing beneath his skin.
The air in front of him rippled.
A small tear appeared - no bigger than the width of his palm. Light folded in on itself, bending unnaturally, edges glowing faintly blue. For half a second, the portal held.
Then it collapsed.
The air snapped shut like nothing had ever been there.
Liam swore under his breath and dropped his arm, shoulders sagging. He bent forward slightly, hands braced on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. His whole body felt like it was fighting him, refusing to listen.
“Still at it?”
The voice came from behind him.
Liam straightened slowly and turned. Ethan stood just inside the training grounds, sleeves rolled up, expression calm but sharp-eyed. He had that look he always wore when he was observing something important - not judging, just taking everything in.
Liam let out a dry laugh. “You make it sound like I have a choice.”
Ethan walked closer, boots crunching softly against the dirt. “You’ve been here since dawn.”
“Since before,” Liam corrected. “I lost track of time.”
“That’s not a good thing.”
Liam flexed his fingers, frustration flashing across his face. “I was close this time. It held longer.”
“For half a second,” Ethan said gently.
“Half a second more than yesterday.”
Ethan didn’t argue. He stopped a few steps away, watching as Liam lifted his hand again, determination hardening his features.
“I can do it,” Liam muttered. “I know I can.”
The air shimmered again. The portal flickered into existence, unstable, trembling like it might tear itself apart. Liam’s breathing grew shallow as he tried to hold it, sweat dripping down his temple.
Then it vanished.
Liam dropped his arm with a sharp exhale. “Damn it.”
Ethan crossed his arms. “You’re pushing too hard.”
“I don’t have a choice,” Liam snapped, then sighed immediately after. “Sorry. I just… it only works when Lisa is around. When she’s close, everything feels steadier. Like the magic listens to her.”
Ethan studied him for a long moment. “I think it’s as Nolan said. The magic responds to emotions – Lisa makes you feel comfortable and safe.”
“That doesn’t help me much when she’s not around,” Liam said bitterly. “I can’t rely on her every time I need to open a portal. What happens when she’s not there?”
Ethan stepped closer. “Keep at it, you’ll soon learn to anchor yourself. Don’t beat yourself too much.”
Liam scoffed. “Easy for you to say.”
Ethan tilted his head. “I didn’t say it would be easy but it’s necessary.”
Silence settled between them, heavy but not uncomfortable.
Finally, Ethan gestured toward the edge of the grounds, where a small wooden stand held several bottles of water. “Take a break. Five minutes won’t undo the work you’ve already done.”
Liam hesitated, then nodded. He walked over just as Ethan grabbed a bottle and tossed it toward him.
“Catch.”
Liam caught it on instinct, twisted the cap open, and took a long gulp. Cold water slid down his throat, grounding him in a way magic hadn’t managed to all morning.
He exhaled. “Thanks.”
They leaned against the stand, the quiet stretching again.
“So,” Liam said after a moment, glancing sideways at him. “What brings the king to my humble suffering? You should be busy attending to Kingdom matters.”
Ethan smirked faintly. “You are part of my kingdom matters.”
“Is that it? What about me has become a kingdom matter to be attended by the king?” Liam smirked.
Ethan’s expression sobered. “Someone’s been talking.”
Liam stiffened slightly. “About what?”
“You – your magic specifically.”
Liam closed his eyes briefly. “Of course.”
“They know about the warden” Ethan continued. “Not everything but enough to raise questions. It was brought up the other day during the council’s meeting. Hasn’t Lora mentioned it to you?”
Liam looked back at him. “She hasn’t. But then again, I haven’t been home since I started training. What were they asking about?”
“Some believe this should be debated openly. Others think my word should be enough.” Ethan said.
“It’s splitting the council.”
“Let me guess,” Liam said flatly. “Rufus?”
Ethan’s mouth twitched. “You know him too well. But there’s also Rufus.”
Liam shook his head. “Vaughn, I expected. Rufus…” He frowned. “He trusted your father. He should trust you too. What has gotten into him?”
Ethan shrugged. “Fear of the past perhaps. What happened seventeen years ago makes them afraid of any unknown. Rufus lost his friend – my father- in that massacre.”
“I understand. We were young but I still remember the screams.” Liam’s tone was serious now.
“And what did you tell them?”
“Nothing,” Ethan replied. “I asked them to trust me.”
Liam studied him carefully. “Do you think that was wise?”
Ethan met his gaze evenly. “I think it was necessary.”
“They won’t let this go,” Liam warned. “Especially Vaughn. He’ll look for cracks.”
“I know,” Ethan said quietly. “That’s why I’m watching him.”
Liam let out a short breath. “Always prepared.”
“strategic,” Ethan corrected.
They shared a brief smile.
After a moment, Liam asked, more softly, “How are the girls?”
Ethan arched a brow. “All the girls, or just your girlfriend?”
Liam chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “I haven’t seen her in days. I miss her.”
“She’s fine,” Ethan said. Then his expression shifted. “It’s Isabel I’m worried about.”
Liam’s brow furrowed. “Why? Did something happen to her?”
“I’m not sure sending her to Lunaris was the right call,” Ethan admitted. “She didn’t sleep last night. Nightmares. She’s trying to pretend she’s okay.”
“That sounds like her,” Liam said quietly. “She hides behind humor. Makes everyone else feel better while carrying things alone.”
Ethan nodded. “Lisa does the same.”
“They understand each other; their pasts are filled with pain.” Liam said. “Pain recognizes pain.”
Ethan stared out across the grounds. “I wish there was a way to make it easier for them.”
“A spell?” Liam suggested lightly.
Ethan huffed. “If there was, they’d refuse it.”
“Absolutely,” Liam agreed. “They’re both stubborn.”
There was a pause before Liam glanced at Ethan again, eyes sharp. “You’ve been thinking about Isabel a lot.”
Ethan blinked. “Have I?”
“You have,” Liam said calmly. “And not just as a responsibility.”
Ethan sighed. “It’s not like that.”
“She’s a minor,” Liam added pointedly.
“I know,” Ethan said quickly. “That’s not what this is.”
“Then what is it?”
Ethan hesitated. “She reminds me of my mother.”
Liam’s expression softened. “Queen Helena.”
“She filled spaces without trying,” Ethan said. “Lightened rooms just by being there. Isabel does the same.”
Liam smiled faintly. “You’re right. I remember.”
They stood in silence, remembering.
“I don’t know whether it’ll help,” Ethan said eventually. “I was thinking of visiting Red Valley Park this weekend. I invited the girls. Thought you should come too.”
Liam’s eyes lit slightly. “That’s… a good idea.”
“Get away from the council,” Ethan said. “From all of this.”
Liam nodded. “Count me in.”
“Good,” Ethan said, straightening. “Now keep practicing. But don’t kill yourself.”
He turned to leave, already halfway toward the edge of the training ground, when something tightened inside him.
He stopped.
The air had shifted - not visibly, not loudly - but in a way only instinct could catch. Rex stirred beneath his skin, uneasy, alert. Ethan drew in a slow breath through his nose, then another.
“That’s not ours,” he said quietly.
Liam frowned. “What?”
Ethan didn’t answer aloud. Instead, his mind reached outward, brushing against Liam’s through the familiar pull of the mind-link.
“Do you feel that?”
Liam stilled. The fatigue in his body vanished in an instant. He closed his eyes, letting go of the rigid focus he had held on his magic, opening himself fully to his wolf senses. The world sharpened.
Then he caught it.
“A scent,” Liam replied. “Not from Mooncrest or any of the sentinels either.”
Ethan’s jaw tightened. “And not clumsy. Whoever it is knows how to stay hidden.”
Liam’s gaze swept the high stone wall bordering the training grounds. “Do you think he heard what we talked about?”
“We’ll know soon,” Ethan answered.
They didn’t need to speak again.
In the same heartbeat, both of them shifted.
Bones cracked and reshaped, fur rippling over skin as two powerful wolves landed on the packed earth. Without hesitation, they leapt for the wall, clearing it in a single bound.
The forest beyond was quiet - but not empty.
Ethan’s enhanced sight caught movement high above. A figure crouched on a tree branch, still and watchful. For a fraction of a second, their eyes met.
Then the stranger reacted.
He shifted mid-motion, the change fast and practiced, and bolted deeper into the woods. Ethan and Liam surged after him, paws tearing through underbrush, lungs burning as they closed the distance.
But the intruder was fast.
Too fast.
He vanished between the trees, his scent breaking abruptly, swallowed by the forest like he had never been there at all.
They skidded to a halt.
Silence pressed in around them, heavy and wrong.
A moment later, they shifted back, dressing quickly from the emergency packs hidden among the rocks. Ethan dragged a hand through his hair, eyes dark with thought.
“That wasn’t an amateur,” he said.
Liam nodded. “No. The way he ran… controlled. Strategic.”
“Like a mercenary,” Ethan added.
Liam glanced back toward Mooncrest. “Not local. I’ve never smelled him before.”
Ethan exhaled slowly. “Which means someone brought him here.”
They stood there for a long moment, the weight of that truth settling between them.
“Council?” Liam asked.
“Possibly,” Ethan said. “Vaughn would go that far.”
“Or witches,” Liam countered.
Ethan didn’t dismiss it. “Either way, this wasn’t coincidence.”
Liam met his gaze. “What do we do?”
Ethan’s voice dropped. “We watch. Quietly. Ask questions without letting anyone know why.”
Liam nodded. “I’ll check with my guards. Discreetly.”
“Good,” Ethan said. “Trust no one unless we have to.”
They turned back toward the training ground, neither of them speaking, both of them knowing the same thing.
Whatever had just crossed into Mooncrest wasn’t done yet.
Enemies were closing in on them from all sides.