Page 10 of Beacon

His Highness followed my gaze towards the approaching sailors and chuckled. “Ah, here come more rescuers. It’s about time. They’re a bit late to have been much help, and I’ll never let the poor blokes forget it. Luckily for me, I had you.” He winked but his amusement faltered at seeing my shock. “Are you alright?”

I simply gaped at him, still stunned.

His brow furrowed as he glanced towards the ocean, as if something had only just occurred to him. “Wait…if I fell into the sea so far from land, how did you—”

Enough of my shock had faded for me to spring to my feet and stumble backwards; I nearly tripped in my haste to escape. The prince struggled to stand in order to follow me, but by the time he’d shakily gotten to his feet, I’d already run halfway towards the lighthouse.

“Wait, where are you going?”

I didn’t glance back until I’d reached the door. The sailors had surrounded the prince, inquiring in a rush of voices after his well-being. He answered none of them, his gaze locked on me with a look like he meant to follow. But I’d have none of that.

I fumbled with the doorknob and stumbled inside, slamming the door shut on another plea from the prince for me to wait. I locked it and rested my forehead on the wood to catch my panting breath. But rather than go upstairs to use another crystal that would allow the lighthouse to transport me far away from here, part of me yearned to linger. I crouched down to peer through the keyhole.

His Highness stood in the middle of the frantic crew, staring after me. He said something to one of the sailors and started to fight his way through the crowd towards the lighthouse.

I stumbled back and hastened up the stairs towards the beacon, where I fumbled with an aqua crystal, the one that would take me home. It clicked into place just as a knock drifted from downstairs. The magic hummed and swirled around me, and the knock faded as the lighthouse transported me to another shore, leaving the prince behind.

The moment the aqua light dimmed I wandered the lighthouse in search of Father. Surely he’d have returned by now. My settling heart flared to life with each empty room that confirmed my escalating panic: he wasn’t here. I looked out the window at the darkening sky. It was past twilight; he should have returned by now.

My terror returned. Had he been out at sea when the storm hit? Heart in my throat, I hurried outside to search the shore. I half expected to see Father’s boat shattered against the rocks with the rest of its splintered remains floating like corpses in the ocean…but the shoreline was empty.

I scanned it frantically. There was no sign of a wreck, so I searched the water. Although the sea was choppy and it rained lightly, unlike the ocean surrounding my secret island, the storm didn’t rage here. My relief weakened me and I sank to the shore where I stayed, my gaze riveted to the horizon as I waited…and waited…

I released a whooshing breath when Father’s boat finally appeared against the horizon. I didn’t even wait for him to dock before I splashed into the water. Father slowed his rowing, his eyes wide as he witnessed my frantic approach.

“Marisa—”

The rest of his words were swallowed by my embrace. I burrowed against him, getting his front all wet and coated in sand, but I was too relieved to see him to pull away. His comforting arms surrounded me as he held me back.

“Were you worried by the rain? It was a minor storm, nothing to be afraid of. The moment I noticed the turn in the weather, I turned around to return. I’m safe.” He repeated the words “I’m safe” over and over as he rubbed my back, his murmurs soothing.

Yet his calming reassurances failed to penetrate my lingering fear, a remnant from the storm that had violently raged at my secret island, the memory of the prince falling overboard followed by my harrowing rescue, my worries that I’d almost lost Father…I choked back a sob and burrowed myself closer.

He patiently continued to soothe me, eventually moving his touch from my back to stroke my hair in the way he often did, and somehow, in this moment, it brought me more comfort than I’d felt in a long time. I melted against him. Despite still not feeling like I deserved it, I was grateful for his love.

“You’re soaked and covered in sand. What happened? Are you alright, Starfish?”

Anxiety caused my hands to shake so much that I fumbled some of my signed explanation, so I simply clung to him more tightly, so relieved to see him safe, whole, and returned to me that I wouldn’t have been able to speak even if I’d had the ability to.

CHAPTER4

The beacon’s magic faded as the lighthouse once again transported me to my secret island, my refuge from the worry and anxiety that always haunted me while Father was at sea, for the shortness of his last excursion had forced him to go back out less than a week later, much sooner than he normally would.

I was desperate for a glimpse within the enchanted pool, a distraction from the worries that had only grown each hour of Father’s absence, now longer than he’d promised to be gone. My nerves were already taut, thanks to anxiety lingering from the recent storm…as well as from my venture into the ocean to rescue the prince.

The prince…

Heat burned my cheeks at the memory of having encountered a member of the royal family in such an unkempt state. Thank goodness, I’d likely never see him again considering the mute daughter of a lighthouse keeper had no need to interact with a prince, despite having rescued him.

I descended the twisting staircase to the beach…only to venture a few steps into the sunlight and freeze. My usual view of the surrounding sea was marred by a large ship docked on the shore. The sails swaying gently in the breeze bore the royal insignia, while my usually abandoned island was crowded with sailors hard at work repairing the damage the storm had inflicted on their ship.

For a moment I could only stare at the trespassers. My first instinct was to escape within the refuge of the lighthouse, but I found myself scanning the shoreline, searching, until my gaze settled on Prince Owen.

He looked much better than his previous waterlogged and weak state following his rescue—looking so healthy, one would never guess he’d nearly drowned a few days ago. He chatted amiably with a ginger-haired man whose manner of dress revealed him to be the captain. He paused when he caught sight of me. He blinked a few times before his face broke into a wide grin.

He stepped forward as if he meant to greet me, but before he could venture any closer, I hastily backed into the lighthouse and slammed the door. For a moment I simply stood with my hands pressed against the wood, breathing heavily…until a sudden knock caused my breath to catch. I stiffened, but despite the rank of the man on the other side, I made no move to open the door.

The prince paused to patiently await my response, bringing blessed silence. I squeezed my eyes shut and waited.Please go away. But my hopes proved in vain when he knocked again, a sound quickly followed by the turn of a knob. I stumbled back as the door opened a crack, revealing the prince’s curious expression as he peered inside.

---