Page 84 of Dawn of Hope
“Oh my gods!” I yell, reaching with one hand to push my now drenched hair out of my eyes. I can hear Dane’s boisterous laugh above the crashing of more waves around us.
“Look down!” He yells and takes a partial step away from me. He keeps his hands on me so I don’t fall, but there’s enough room so I can see the rock below.
I gasp at the beauty unfolding underneath us.
Everywhere the waves crash, the rock lights up around us. Pinks, greens, blues, and yellows, glowing like nothing I have ever seen. I bend down slightly, steadying myself on him and see that it isn’t the rock itself, but the world that lives in and on it. Plants and animals all glowing as soon as the water touches them, showing off their beauty underneath a clear twinkling sky.
I don’t care at all about the surrounding water, or the waves crashing over me, or the rivulets of mud washing off my skin. I crouch down, careful of where I am moving my feet so I can get a better look.
“This is incredible. I’ve never seen anything like this!” I look up at Dane, my cheeks hurting from all the smiling. Between the thoughtful dinner and now this, I feel like I am floating.
He looks almost shy as he smiles back. “I hoped you would like it. It happens every time the tide comes in.” He gestures to the cove, where the rolling glowing waves are still rolling in and crashing into the beach. “Was it worth taking the risk of coming out here?”
“Absolutely.” I look around at the rest of the cove and see that every surface of rock is glowing, and the cove itself is bright and full of life. “It’s gorgeous. Can you show me more?”
“Of course.” He crouches down and points out different creatures along the rock. There are so many, even some that I don’t know if they exist back in our world. Glowing blue crabs scuttle along the surface, and tiny bright pink fish swim through the caverns carved into the rock.
I am moved by the effort Dane went through to bring me here and show me this. He knows about my fear of the water, but for a few moments, I’ve completely forgotten about it. I even feel comfortable enough to walk along the rock face on my own and explore new areas.
Dawnlin is changing me, maybe more than I had realized.
I never had the opportunity to let anyone into my life. Brynne and Edmond were the only two I truly trusted. Living in isolation, with nothing to look forward to, nothing to hope for, made me pessimistic and resentful of everyone experiencing life outside of my walls. It made me angry for my father’s decisions, layered on top of the guilt I felt, knowing I had been the ultimate cause for him to make them.
But Dane…Dane has given me someone new to trust. This place gave me a new hope, not only for something more for my life and relationships here, but for eventual change in what was waiting for me in Blackwood.
Edmond was right. Maybe hope was something that everyone needed. Dane was right too, and he had definitely earned my trust tonight.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
We stay out on the rocks for what feels like hours, looking at the wildlife and enjoying the night, not a care about the Castaways crossing my mind. As the night draws on and the stars and moon brighten, a stronger breeze comes in off the ocean. Gooseflesh covers my skin, and the wet hair and clothes plastered to my body to make me shiver.
Dane notices my shaking and scoops me up, cradling my body against his chest, and heads back to shore. Despite the chill of the wind hitting my soaked clothing, I revel in his warmth and rest my head in the crook of his neck.
He sets me down on the blanket and feeds the fire, building it up so the roaring flames throw off enough heat to be comfortable despite the wind.
“Why don’t more of the Voyagers come down here?” I ask once he sits back down beside me.
He rests his forearms on his bent knees and scoots his body closer, his thigh brushing mine. “Everyone does at some point. Sometimesmore often than others. Right now, I think everyone is really focused, not particularly paying attention to the joys of this place. That tends to happen when new people come.”
“Why?”
He stares into the fire, the light of the flames dancing across his cheekbones, casting shadows on his face. “I think it reminds them of why they’re here. It reminds them that there is still something they are searching for, and of the reason. Reliving the same day every day can feel monotonous. Every time someone new shows up, like you and Fin, it reminds them that the hope still exists.”
I nod slowly. “I’m glad I could give them that.” I hope I don’t need that reminder, eventually, but if I do, I hope someone shows up who can give it to me.
We stay silent for a few moments, listening to the gentle crashing of waves, the heaviness of the sentiment filling the air. I look out over the cove at the water, still glowing brilliant blues.
“Do you think I can find it?”
“Hmm?” Dane tears his gaze away from the fire to meet my gaze.
“The cure. Do you think I can find it?”
“I think,” he says as he shifts to face me. “I think, of anyone, you can definitely find it.”
“What have I done to give you that much confidence in me?”
“Just a feeling. You give me a feeling.”