Page 8 of Beacon

Time slipped away as I sat beside the pool, allowing the consuming pain to do its work. Only the distant rumble of thunder tore me from my grief. Heart flaring, my gaze snapped towards the cavern’s tight entrance. The rocky outcroppings nearly masked the sky, save for a single pocket that revealed not the clear blue that had been there when I’d first entered the cave but one grey and stormy…

I gasped sharply. Suddenly the cavern became much too confining, the ceiling feeling as if it was closing in on me. Octavius stroked my cheek in assurance before easing himself onto my shoulder.

I shakily stood and made my way towards the exit, guided by my urgency to return to the lighthouse to ensure that the beacon was burning brightly for any ships out at sea, ones which included Father’s fishing boat. Fear—my ever-present companion—emerged, bringing with it images of him being lost in the storm, his boat destroyed against the rocks; I struggled to push them away, but they were too powerful, eclipsing my mind until I feared I’d go mad.

I tried to steady my breaths, coming up short and sharp. I needed to return to the lighthouse.

I scraped my hands and feet along the rough rocks in my haste to crawl out of the cave back to the ocean. I felt the water’s energy the moment I touched it.

For a moment I stilled, not wanting to venture out when the sea was in such a rage, more foe than friend. Only the thoughts of my duty at the beacon compelled me to enter the water and swim to shore.

I emerged from the ocean and started running towards the lighthouse but froze when I caught sight of something in the distance: a ship, bearing the royal crest, had appeared against the horizon…a ship that was about to face the approaching storm.

CHAPTER3

Istared out across the sea and watched as the ship sailed steadily closer. I’d never seen a ship near my island, a place I’d always believed to be an uncharted part of sea, a magical hideaway from the rest of the world. But if that was the case, what was a ship doing here?

The wind began to blow more fiercely, stirring me to action. I scrambled up the shore to the lighthouse, where I hurried up the twisting stairs to the beacon. Thunder rumbled. I took several steadying breaths and struggled to block out the sound so I could focus on each of my tasks. My hands shook as I struck a flint and lit the oil in the mantle above the flame, which had extinguished with the magical light that had transported the lighthouse.

The beacon’s flame flared to life, filling the room with a warm glow and creating a steady bright beam that shone into the darkening sky, quickly becoming swallowed up by the gathering clouds. The lighthouse shone not just here but from each of the locations upon whose shores it stood as a beacon for the ships out at sea.

After ensuring everything was in working order, I returned to the shore to anxiously watch the approaching ship, still a ways off. The sea churned in agitation as the storm increased and thunder shook the sky; moments later the storm broke free, releasing torrents of rain that quickly soaked me through.

But still I remained, my attention riveted to the ship, afraid that looking away would doom it. The anxiety knotting my stomach tightened the closer the ship sailed to the rocks. I sent many silent prayers heavenward for the safety of all on board. Lightning flashed, illuminating the crew bustling on deck. Amongst them stood a man at the railing, his hand clutching the rigging and his gaze riveted to the beacon shining through the rain.

Another bolt of lightning flashed across the sky and struck one of the sails, catching it on fire. I gasped and lurched forward, but I could do nothing except watch with bated breath as the crew frantically scrambled to put the fire out.

The rain quickly consumed the flames, leaving the mast charred and damaged, no match for the raging wind rocking the boat. A loud crack pierced the air and the mast fell, striking the man at the railing, causing him to tumble overboard.

I opened my mouth to scream but no sound came out as I watched the man hit the water and be pulled under. I waited an agonizing moment for him to emerge or for someone to jump in after him, but with the chaos on board, no one seemed to have seen the man fall, leaving him to be claimed by the sea.

I tightened my jaw. That wouldn’t happen. I lurched forward to enter the water but froze when my toes touched the waves rolling across the shore. My breath hitched. The sea was in the state I most feared, churning with anger and destruction.

For a moment my fears anchored me to the safety of the beach…until images from my recurring nightmare of Mother being lost to the sea provided me with the courage I needed to step into the water. No matter how afraid I was, I couldn’t stand idly by and watch another life taken on my shore.

The cold water seeped into my skirts the farther I waded in. With every step, I frantically searched the surface where the man had fallen overboard a quarter of a mile away. He hadn’t emerged, leaving me little time.

My heart pattered in an unrelenting tempo as I took a deep breath and dove beneath the surface. The sea was as dark as night, making navigation difficult. Octavius followed me into the water and swam ahead. I struggled through the choppy waves in order to follow, guided by the sixth sense I’d been born with, one that grew as my dormant powers stirred to life as they always did whenever I touched the ocean. This time I didn’t push them away but allowed them to wash over me, adding speed to my swim and providing me guidance through the waves.

The water’s energy hummed around me, tingling my skin with unspoken messages, which pulled me towards the man who’d fallen overboard. I swam as quickly as I could, not just towards him but in a sense towards Mother as well. Perhaps if I could save him, it’d provide some form of redemption after I’d failed to saveher…

The waves crashed around me, making swimming difficult; I felt the ocean would swallow me whole to drag me to the depths where the storm had taken Mother all those years ago. But my desperation allowed me to resist the pull in order to push forward through the rough sea.

I reached where the man had disappeared beneath the depths, but just before I dove after him, my magic tugged me away from where he’d vanished. I hesitated briefly before submitting to its guidance when I saw Octavius poke his head out of the water in the direction the magic nudged me towards.

With a deep breath, I dove. I pushed my powers through the thick waves in search for him, even as my magic guided me down, down, down…

I found the man lying unmoving at the bottom. I struggled to hoist him up, but he was too heavy and I was quickly running out of air. My lungs burned, urging me back towards the surface, but I refused to leave anyone to the cruel mercies of the sea when I had the power to rescue them.

After a lot of struggle, I managed to hook my arms around the man enough to push against the sea floor and swim towards the surface, my movements slow with the added weight of the stranger. Spots danced across my vision and my lungs screamed for relief. I swam harder, reaching towards my magic; it lent me strength and pulled me upwards, allowing me to reach the surface.

I emerged with a gasp, taking several shaky, painful breaths and coughing up seawater. My exhaustion weighed on me, trying to pull me back under, but I resisted. I adjusted my grip on the man and kicked my legs to propel me forward, Octavius pushing me from behind to assist.

The shore seemed so far away—a journey of miles rather than only a few remaining yards; the longer I swam, the farther away it seemed. The man grew heavier, slowing me down and making it more difficult to fight against the choppy waves. But still I swam, buoyed up by my magic.

We finally reached the shore where I collapsed onto the sand. I only allowed myself to lie there for a moment before I struggled to my knees, tugged the man onto the shore, and rolled him over. His eyes were closed and he appeared entirely still. My heart lurched. Was he—had I been too late?

Despair crashed over me almost as intense as when I’d lost Mother, making me feel I was losing her all over again. I rested my forehead on the man’s unmoving chest. If I hadn’t hesitated to enter the water, or if I’d swam faster, he wouldn’t be—

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