52

Kevin and Kent began their chant, and it would be a couple of hours before my part was due, but mine was going to need the most power to set its effect, so I sat back, relaxed, and watched the waters of the strait and the barrier for a moment before beginning. The sun was up just barely and its reddish glow gave the waters the appearance of liquid fire dancing to the flow of the wind. The barrier hung midway into the strait, a grey reddish sparkling barrier that appeared to be fog, but at the same time had a harder, almost crystalline sparkle in the early morning sun.
It looked magickal, and it was, but a hard, harsh kind. There were few birds here, most of the fish and water creatures had died when they came in contact with the barrier, and over the first few years the barrier was up, the whole strait reeked of the dead and decaying animals it had killed. Now it looked placid, and beautiful, but the disguised the sterility of the waters and the lack of birds and other life. That became more apparent when you tried to listen for birdsong, and there was none.
I wasn't certain at all what might have survived on the island, with all such things dying around it. Prince Edward Island is small, and as provinces go, it's the smallest one in Canada. It made up for that in the past with scenic beauty and a smart local government that looked forward and forward in balance with the past. All that was long dead since the barrier went up. That people had survived at all was one of those things that kept reminding humanity of how tenacious we are as a species, and how adaptable.
I began my chant and heard both Kent and Kevin's adjust slightly as I began building power along with them. We were drawing power from pretty much the same source and area, but with the three of us, we overlapped in intended use and we actually were able to coax the power up easier together than we would if separate. It was one of the side-effects of group ritual magick. You felt the others and were comforted by them in a way I have yet to be able to hear explained in any way close to the true sensation. It was glorious.
Cobb had remained by the car since we had arrived and set up, conspicuously staying away from us 'murderous' humans. Truthfully, I was glad for the reprieve, he had worn out his welcome and the only reason now to have him here was his concealment spell, and the trip back and forth across the way to prove it was open.
Kevin and Kent's chanting filled my ears and I watched as the echo of the bridge began to take shape, reaching out across the strait towards Prince Edward Island. The echo started from the edge of the bridge where I sat, and formed like mist outwards towards the barrier. The barrier sat out there, a hard, grey shimmer that was harder than the fog it resembled. The echo reached the barrier and stopped, it had reached the end of its range until the barrier was penetrated. Kevin now increased the pace of his chant, and I felt a pressure build as his chant built.
Cobb was suddenly beside me, I could see his shoes just at the edge of my peripheral vision. I was focusing outward and didn't have the time to be distracted. Then Kevin pierced the barrier, the pressure flowed away from us and we could see the barrier dilate like an iris. The circular opening grew in size rapidly until the echo was able to continue through. I heard Kevin slow the chant and hold it at it's present size. Kent continued to pour power into the chant and the echo grew and extended to the limits that I could discern.
“It's almost to shore,” Cobb said loudly, and I think that was the first thing he'd actually done to help us. Kent continued and then his tenor changed, I believe he felt the connection to the other side. Both were handing the completed spells to me, and now it was up to me to hold the two spells, while Kevin and Kent tapped that dark power in me so they could pour power into the echo and the hole to solidify them both, then there would be locking the spell, and concealing it.
Ritual magick is great for slow projects that are intricate, you can coax power to do your desire, and given time you can really build powerful spells. That was what I was doing while the others built their parts. I would be the one working the most power into the spell to anchor it and create a permanency where there was just the barest existence built. It wasn't delicate or difficult, just a lot of time and power needed. I didn't really have the time at the moment, however the power was all around if one cared to get a little reckless.