Page 13 of Beacon

I shook my head again. In truth, I’d never seen any need to learn, not when my established sign language was adequate in communicating with Father and for any errands I might need to fulfill in the village. My parents’ literacy skills had been rudimentary at best, and although I’d attended the school in the village, my need to chatter had distracted my attention away from my lessons, making it so I’d made little progress.

After the accident, my desire to use any words—written or spoken—to forge relationships with others outside of my family had vanished. Over time those words I’d managed to learn had eventually slipped from my memory.

Yet I couldn’t communicate any of this to the prince.

His shoulders slumped at my response, looking so disappointed that I felt a sudden need to get him to smile once more. I crouched down to shakily write the only word I still knew into the sand: M-A-R-I-S-A. Mistakes forced me to restart twice, the years it’d been since I’d last written causing me to forget how to properly form even these six letters. Once I finished, I sat back on my heels and peered expectedly up at the prince.

As I’d hoped, he was smiling again. “So youdoknow how to write.”

I held up a single finger.

“Oh, just this word? Is it your name?”

I nodded.

“Marisa.” A strange but rather pleasant shudder rippled over me at hearing him say it. Somehow it sounded more lovely spoken in his voice, and it wasn’t until this moment that I realized just how much I’d missed hearing someone other than Father say my name.

Prince Owen stared at my name written roughly across the sand with as much concentration as if I’d spoken several sentences, not dismissing my communication despite how small it’d been.

“It’s a pretty name. Does it mean anything?”

Of the sea. I used to treasure my name’s meaning, considering the powers I’d been born with, but now any connection with the ocean only brought pain after it’d stolen so much.

I gestured towards the sea, and as I’d hoped, the prince understood. “How fitting, considering the ocean is where we first met. The meaning of your name is much more interesting than mine, even though my own is admittedly fitting, considering my station—it meansnobleandwellborn. This is how you spell it.” He crouched beside me and used his finger to spell O-W-E-N, repeating each sound as he wrote it. “There, now you know two words.”

Despite his sweet gesture, I frowned. Part of me was wary of adding another word to my limited vocabulary, but somehow being the prince’s name made it seem like an exception. Perhaps because names held special meaning. For a moment I simply stared at the two names side by side, tracing my finger over each letter.

Silence settled over us. Despite my reservations towards any interaction, the moment felt strangely peaceful. I darted a sideways glance towards the prince, expecting to find him appearing uncomfortable with the silence, but he seemed perfectly at ease, not seeming bothered I couldn’t offer him any further communication.

Yet fear lingered beneath the surface to churn the calm waters. I studied our names again. The prince had not only unlocked one of the words I’d previously vowed to keep hidden away but had given me another. And it wasn’t just his written name, but the words he bestowed so easily upon me without any expectation for me to give any in return.

Though the silence was comfortable, would he eventually want to fill it? Would his curiosity over the mute girl beside him lead him to search for the secrets haunting his rescuer’s past, particularly each of those I’d failed to save with each shipwreck that had occurred at our shore? Should he uncover them, he’d discover I wasn’t a hero at all. Learning about every lost soul staining my conscience would lead him to regret every word he’d so kindly bestowed.

The thought caused me to stand with a jolt that caused Octavius to slide from my shoulder. I withdrew from the prince’s warm and friendly presence, walking backwards towards the safety the lighthouse would provide.

Concern furrowed his brow as he glanced over his shoulder to watch me retreat. “Where are you—”

Before he could give me yet another word, I turned and ran up the sandy slope, not even stopping at the sound of him calling my name. I was surprised he wanted me to linger even after he’d expressed his gratitude, considering our interaction would have remained one-sided, but despite his kindness, I couldn’t heed his wishes.

I didn’t slow even after I’d entered the sanctity of the lighthouse. I locked the door to prevent him from following and scrambled up the stairs to use the crystal to transport myself far away from the prince. Even after the magic settled and the beacon’s enchanted glow faded, my rapidly pounding heart didn’t slow. If anything, it only tightened, clenched within my anxiety’s painful grasp.

I released a shaky breath and collapsed onto the cold floor near the beacon’s now faded light. There I pulled my legs up to my chest and buried my face against my knees. But even closing my eyes didn’t dispel the memory of the prince’s friendly smile and kind words, all of which he’d given without expecting any in return.

I doubted I’d ever see him again, making him the first and last person outside my family to initiate an interaction with the silent common girl who didn’t deserve a voice after everything she’d done. If he’d known the truth, I was certain he wouldn’t have talked to me at all.

CHAPTER5

Darkness shrouded the sea, so the only evidence of the raging storm came from the rushing wind and the sound of the waves beating against the lighthouse, as if the ocean itself was trying to swallow it up…but though the lighthouse stood firm, a boat could easily be overcome.

My heart squeezed tightly even as my thoughts raged fierce as the ocean. I paused in my duties to search the sea for Father, a task made impossible with the thick darkness that had settled across the ocean without warning. The only source of light came from the beacon, whose golden glow reached across the churning water, empty of any boats.

Father remained at sea, and with the current storm…

Fear clouded my mind. I fought to push through it in order to focus on each required task: check the beacon and ensure there was enough fuel to allow the magic to keep it burning brightly throughout the night. Each duty acted as an anchor that kept me afloat even when I felt on the brink of drowning. Only the lighthouse kept me from sinking into the despair threatening to engulf me.

The night stretched on, and still, Father didn’t return. He’d never been away for so long. I ached to go outside and stand on the shore to search for his boat myself but doing so would require me to leave the lighthouse unattended, something I could never do on such a night.

Tears burned my eyes, making it nearly impossible for me to see as I faithfully tended the lighthouse. My rising anxiety caused my hands to shake, making each movement difficult. I forced myself to focus on the beacon’s golden light, the only source of comfort amid the surrounding blackness and the very light that needed to burn brightly in order to guide Father home…if he hadn’t already been lost.

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