Page 26 of A Silenced Midlife

He straightened, a serious look replacing his usual smirk. "Let's get to work then."

I followed my father out the back door, the hot summer air almost suffocating. "Okay, so are we powerful enough to make a ward this big?" I asked, squinting up at the sky as if the answer might be written in the clouds.

"Sure," Lucifer said with a grin that could light up the darkest corners of any realm. "If we were trying to hide the town or keep people out, we'd need more magical muscle. Like the power of three or sometimes a whole coven. But this," he gestured broadly as if painting the air with his words, "this is just for those who don't know about magic. It's more about finesse than brute force."

"Subtle, huh?" I mused, folding my arms. "But covering the whole island?"

"That's the tricky bit," he admitted, leading me across the grass. "Ready to learn?"

"Let's do it."

He stopped and turned to face me, his eyes serious now. "You remember the basics I taught you about wards, right?"

"Of course." I nodded. "Concentrate, visualize, channel."

"Exactly. Now amplify that. Think of a net, not just a wall. It won't block or repel; it'll weave into their memories and gently pluck out the bits we don't want them to hold onto."

"Sounds... delicate," I said, trying to wrap my head around the concept.

"Delicate but effective. Let's start here." He pointed at the ground beneath our feet. "Place your hands like this." He demonstrated, palms facing down but not touching the earth.

I mirrored him, the latent magic in the soil below ready to rise at our command.

"Now, repeat after me," Lucifer instructed, and began the incantation. His voice was a soft rumble, each word clear and purposeful.

I followed, the unfamiliar syllables rolling off my tongue, the power surging between us, connecting to the land.

"Feel that?" he asked, a half-smile playing on his lips as the energy danced beneath our hands.

"Yeah," I breathed out, almost laughing from the thrill. "It's like the island's alive."

"Good. That's good." Approval warmed his tone. "Now, imagine the net, spreading out from here, thin but strong."

We moved together, an intricate dance of power and precision, stretching the ward across Shipton Harbor. The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows as we worked, marking time in a way that felt irrelevant to the task at hand.

"Keep focusing," Lucifer reminded me as he opened a portal. “We have to hit the four corners.”

We stood on the southern tip of the island, the ocean sprawling out before us like a dark canvas speckled with the rays of sunlight.

"Ready?" Lucifer asked.

"Let's do it," I said, nodding.

Together we read the incantation out loud. A shimmer ran through the air, like heat above pavement, and then settled.

"Did it work?" I couldn't help the skepticism in my voice.

"Trust the process," he said, a smirk playing on his face.

"Next stop, north."

Another portal across the island to its opposite end. The terrain changed, and so did the sky, now a deep indigo as night began to claim it.

"Here," Lucifer said. "Same drill."

We recited the incantation. This time, the ward snapped into place, like a puzzle piece finding its fit. It was a subtle click in the fabric of reality.

"Two down," I said, looking up at my dad.

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