Page 117 of The Secret of Drulea Cottage

Santiago opened his mouth to speak again, but then Briony realized something.

“Wait. Costa broke you out o’ the brig? Why would he do that?” she asked.

“Well, Lucia loves a hero after all,” said a new and all too terribly familiar voice.

Santiago and Briony spun around, instantly on the defensive. Briony’s hand was already reaching toward the sky when her eyes glimpsed the pistol in the captain’s hand.

“Tsk, tsk, I wouldn’t do that. Are you quite sure you’re faster than this?” Costa waved the gun and smiled.

Santiago positioned himself in front of her. “I should have known you’d show up after Niall was out of the way. A coward through and through.”

The captain’s eyes narrowed, and he slid forward. He was quiet and controlled, though Briony knew now just how dangerous he truly was. A snake that could strike at any time. “Careful. Remember who has the power here.”

Santiago, on the other hand, did nothing to conceal his hatred. “Why are you here, Costa?”

“It’s as I said. Your sister loves a hero, and I’m more than happy to play the part.”

“You were going to let me take the fall for you. I know there’s more behind this than just making her happy.”

Costa sighed and nodded with an exaggerated roll of his eyes. “I suppose that’s true. The little idiot has proven herself more bothersome than I’d thought possible. Simply refuses to leave without you. Normally, I wouldn’t care about that and just dispose of her, but I recently had a beautiful idea.”

At this point, the annoyed look on Costa’s face shifted to a smirk. “Would you like to hear about it? Would you like to know why I needdear, sweet Lucia?”

“Don’t say her name,” Santiago whispered, his body shaking with rage.

Costa smirked, clearly enjoying the exchange. “Why ever not?”

Before Santiago could respond, though, the captain leaned around him to make eye contact with Briony. He lowered his voice and said, “Shall I share the happy news with you, then? It warms my heart too much to keep it to myself.”

The man’s large smile and flat, dead voice were so frightening that Briony’s first instinct was to dive back into the ocean and swim for her life. But there was no way she was going to leave Santiago alone when she’d only just gotten him back.

Instead, she mustered her courage and replied, “I did na think you capable o’ such feelings.”

Costa’s smile widened, but the tightening of his grip on the gun told Briony he was anything but pleased. “Ah, you’ve seen through me. But don’t tell Santiago’s sister that. You see, she’s to be my wife soon, and I would hate to spoil her dreams of wedded bliss.”

Briony instantly reached for Santiago’s shoulder to hold him back, but he was already leaping forward.

“You demônio!”[34]the merchant snarled.

Costa, completely unruffled by the outburst, waited until Santiago was almost upon him before aiming his pistol—

BANG!

Right at Briony’s chest.

Before she realized it, she was staring up at the sky, the hard sand beneath her. Excruciating pain racked through her, so potent that everything else seemed a mere haze in its wake. Briony reached out with her hand, desperate to grab hold of something, anything.

Warm skin met hers, long fingers wrapping around her own. “Briony! I’m here. I’m here!”

Briony tried to glance toward the sound of the voice, but the tears flooding her eyes made it impossible to see anything more than a blurry shape.

“She needs help! We have to get her into town now!” Santiago’s voice was pure panic.

“She’s a witch. She’ll be fine. Besides, I know all the worst places to shoot someone, and that one didn’t hit anything essential. Now, I suggest you come with me; otherwise, my next shot will be lower.”

A strangled cry broke free from Santiago’s lips, and he whimpered, “I’m sorry, Briony.”

Nay! Don’ leave me! Don’ go!Briony screamed in her mind, but all that came out was a moan of pain. She tried to hold on to Santiago’s hand, but soon it was slipping from her grasp.