Page 130 of Gift from the Nexus

Luckily, strengthening a ward is basically like everything else we do. Set our intentions, cast the spell. The only difference is the hand motions, and the spell is a single word. It’s more a command than a spell.

Once a ward is formed, there’re multiple hand motions that must be remembered because they each have a purpose for the ward. Lowering it, strengthening it. Just like Corentin was given a spell and hand motion for us to enter Terravile for the Alpha trials, there’s a hand motion for that as well. It’s called a temporary motion for guest.

So after a very fast breakdown of that, some extra mental coaching from Gaster that I pass onto Oakly, Mr. Blythe moves on to teach us the sigil for strengthening the ward. He does take his time with this because according to him and Gaster, this isn’t accessible knowledge to students.

After what happened with Gima, he’s been working tirelessly on reworking all the sigils made for the academy because that was a breech of knowledge. There’s no telling what all that stupid bitch knew, and there’re multiple students and staff who knew the sigils as well.

“I want to warn you girls before you try anything, if you get the sigil wrong when you draw it against the ward, it’s going to shock you. The first time is a small warning shock, but it will grow with strength and power the more you mess up. It’s a security system I put in place, hoping to deter anyone from trying to break in or betray us from the inside,” Mr. Blythewarns, waiting for our nods of acknowledgment before moving on. “Perfect, so now the sigil. I’ll go slow, so watch me closely.”

With keen eyes, Oakly and I follow his every movement.

Using his right hand, he draws a straight line down, then from right to left, draws a sideways V. Moving to the opposite side, he repeats the same motion from left to right. Once he does that, he circles the entire sigil, then pushes his palm through the center.

He repeats the sigil for us over and over, making us follow along with him after the third time he showed us. It takes us about five times to get it to his liking, then finally, he instructs us to try it on our own, on the ward.

“Okay, so straight line, crossing sideways Vs starting from right to left, a circle, then palm through the middle as we release our power,” Oakly repeats in my mind.

“Perfect. And say the command when we push our palm through.”

“Got it.”

Together, the two of us approach the ward and run our hand down it to get a feel for it. Like many I’ve already experienced, it’s emitting a pulsing power that sends a vibration through my hand. I know we’d both be able to step in and out of it with ease because we’re welcome, but for someone who isn’t, that shit would hurt.

Releasing deep breaths, we nod at each other in unison and raise our hands.

“On my count. One, two, three,” I say.

On three, we begin drawing the sigil. My intentions are set firm and clear. Strengthen and protect. Nothing more, nothing less. Those two factors are the most important and I push them out as hard as I can.

He didn’t warn us that the sigil would grow more resistant as we went, but we both push through it, knowing it’s the ward’s way of pulling on our power. When we make our way aroundwith our circle, it’s damn near impossible to get our hands to move, but we do, and we both send our command out together.

“Strengthen.”

Power pours from our palms and like a drop of water falling into a bucket, ripples flow across the whole ward.

The usually invisible barrier lights up a hazy blue as the tides of our power spread across its whole surface. What just a second ago were clear, sunny skies, are now blocked out by the blue dome that highlights the entirety of the ward. For whatever reason, I just thought the ward was like a really tall wall, but this makes so much more sense. It completely covers the academy from every angle, including the sky.

We stare, mesmerized, as the blue continues to spread until, I assume, it touches down on the other end of the academy grounds. As soon as that happens, Oakly’s and my hands are released, and we can’t do anything but gawk at each other.

“Corentin,” Gaster says, speaking into his communicator, immediately grabbing my attention. “Yes, that was the girls…yes…okay.”

Just as fast as he hangs the communicator up, Corentin pops in beside him, along with the rest of my Nexus and all of Oakly’s. They all look around the now-again invisible ward, then pin the two of us in our place with their eyes.

“Shit. Did we do something wrong? Did we break it?” I ask.

“Hell if I know. If we did, it’s not our fault. It’s one hundred percent Gaster’s and Mr. Blythe’s.”

“Nothing’s broken, little warrior,” Tillman says as he prowls toward me. Oakly takes that as her cue to move from beside me, but she doesn’t get far before her men corner her as well.

“Then why are you all acting so strange?” I barely get the question out as I’m now surrounded.

Tillman takes up his favorite position right at my back, while Draken and Caspian close in on my sides. Leaving my confused,slightly concerned gaze locked on Corentin’s every move. I love when he stalks toward me like a predator, rolling his sleeves up with every step, but damn, he’s making me a little nervous with that look in his eye, and no one’s answering me.

“Princess. You and Oakly just strengthen the entire ward,” he says when he finally reaches me.

“Well, yeah. That’s what we were told to do,” I say, confused.

“Usually, it has to be done in sections. North, east, south, and west.”

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