Page 75 of Beacon

Owen stepped carefully into the boat before turning around to help me…but I couldn’t move. Instead I stared wide-eyed at the boat rocking rather unsteadily against the water, such a contrast to the firm security I felt on land.

“It’s alright, Marisa,” Owen said assuredly.

While I trusted him, the same could not be said about the water…even as I ached to rebuild the trust that had broken between us. I bit my lip as I stared across the ocean before warily eying the boat, considering.

“You’ll be safe.” Owen’s tone was all gentleness. “I promise, Marisa.”

For someone who rarely used words, it was amazing the power his held over me. His own enfolded me, quieting my fears enough for me to accept his hand and allow him to help me step into the boat.

The boat rocked violently as I stepped inside and shakily sat down. I gave a sharp gasp and clutched the sides. Owen rested his hands on my shoulders, a touch whose comfort I seized like a lifeline.

“I promise you’ll be safe,” he said. “But if this is too soon, we don’t have to do this. I want you to feel secure.”

As tempting as his offer was, it had already taken more courage than I thought I’d possessed to step into the boat; if I faltered now, I wasn’t sure I’d ever have the strength to face my fears again. It wasn’t until this moment that I realized just how desperate I was to.

I took several steadying breaths before relaxing enough to manage a nod. He frowned, clearly unconvinced, so I gestured towards the water with a reassuring smile, an invitation for him to row away from the dock.

He hesitated before relinquishing with a sigh. “Are you certain?”

Even with my nod, Owen continued studying my expression for a long moment to determine my sincerity. When he was satisfied, he untied the rope keeping us at the dock, picked up the oars, and began to row.

The only sound was the gentle slosh of the waves against the boat as it glided gracefully across the water. At first I sat rigidly, clutching the sides with white-knuckled fists…but gradually my tension eased enough for me to relax against the seat.

I tentatively opened my eyes a sliver. Sunset stretched across the water, bathing it in a sea of color and light as the sun sunk lower against the horizon. The beauty of the scene left me mesmerized, but more than the tranquil sight was the feeling that came from being out at sea, so close to the water that had been such an intricate part of me for so long. Despite the length of our separation, the moment contained an air of familiarity, as if we’d never been apart.

The farther Owen rowed, the more at ease I felt, which allowed me to once more hear the ocean in the way I’d been able to when I was younger. At first it was just the rushing sound of the waves…but soon I could hear the water’s gentle whispers within the melodic humming of the magic I’d suppressed for so long.

I immersed myself in it, reaccustoming myself to the long-forgotten language that somehow, even after all these years, was still a part of me. With each whisper it gently beckoned me, inviting me to reconnect with it, a siren’s call I previously hadn’t been ready to answer but I now felt willing to heed.

I hesitated a moment before cautiously dipping my hand into the cool water. My skin tingled, not just with the magic I’d suppressed but the joy that came from connecting with the sea, a feeling the passage of time had almost caused me to forget. The colored light dancing across the sea enhanced the magic tingling my skin, causing the water to curl around my hand, as if trying to get closer. The longer my hand remained submerged, the more familiar the ocean felt, as if we’d never been separated.

I kept my hand in the water even after Owen stopped rowing, having not gone too far from the beach in case I decided the excursion was too much and I wanted to return. The boat settled upon the still water, allowing us to look out across the sea.

Dusk slowly melted into the early signs of night, allowing the first glistening stars to caress the velvety sky. Although I’d spent many evenings stargazing from the lighthouse, the stars seemed more beautiful while upon the water, even magical with the way the sky stretched all around us, reflected not just above but across the surrounding ocean, making it appear we were sailing upon the sky itself.

Silvery moonlight glistened against the waves as night descended further. There was truly something enchanting about being on the ocean…and not just with the reawakening of my powers. The ocean’s magic stirred to life feelings I’d once thought dead, and for the first time in years I no longer felt adrift but exactly where I belonged.

My gaze drifted towards the lighthouse whose beacon shone across the water, a guiding light for all those at sea. Its comforting glow seemed to reach inside me to guide me from the sea of darkness and confusion I’d been trapped within for so long.

I was grateful Owen had brought me out onto the ocean. For a several moments we didn’t feel the need to speak, simply enjoyed the surrounding silence, one filled with the beautiful, wordless conversations that had become common between us. Eventually, Owen turned away from watching the night caress the water.

“Are you alright? Do you want to turn back?” He relaxed when I shook my head. “Let me know if you change your mind and I will heed your wishes.”

There would be no need, not when the excursion I’d initially feared had become so peaceful. Only one thing was missing. I caressed his arm, beckoning his gaze to return to me. His eyes were soft as he faced me once more.

“What is it?”

I tapped my lips and gestured towards him.

“You wish for me to speak?” At my nod he considered a topic before an idea lit his eyes. “Our excursion reminds me of a story from my childhood when my brothers and I snuck out of the palace in the middle of the night to go sailing. Ronan has always aspired to own his own ship, so he recruited me and Jaron to accompany him onto the water. Together we embarked on a quest to find a secret treasure we were convinced could be found where the sun touches the water along the horizon, so we set out…”

He continued his story, sharing in vivid detail the foolhardy adventure that landed him and his brothers in a lot of trouble when they were eventually discovered after an entire day spent adrift on the ocean. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back, allowing his words to wash over me. I loved listening to Owen, but as wonderful as his words were, sadness accompanied them over everything I wished to express in response.

Silence settled back around us when Owen concluded his story, and while it still felt comfortable, I ached to fill it. With each of the ocean’s gentle waves I felt his words drift away, leaving me wanting more…not just his stories but to hear his responses to my own.

I rested my hand over my throat where my voice had not only been returned but had already been used to speak the single word that had spared Owen from a terrible accident. His warm touch caressed my fingers as he rested them over mine.

“While I thoroughly enjoy talking to you, I wish I could hear your own stories. I’m sure there’s so much you want to say.”

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