Page 126 of The Secret of Drulea Cottage

“Agh!”

*

Glossy, dreamlike images floated before Santiago. He watched Costa make his way over to the commodore’s ship, his mind not aware of the gravity of what was happening. But then a flash of movement caught his eye—a woman was descending from the crow’s nest to the deck below.

“Briony!”

His lips uttered her name without him even meaning to, his heart recognizing her even before his brain did. She turned instantly toward the sound, her face breaking out into a bright smile.

But then—

Briony yelped and fell forward as Costa’s gun hit the side of her head. She landed hard at the man’s feet and didn’t move again.

“What is going on here?!” Comodoro Cardoso bellowed, quickly arriving at the midwife’s side with his pistol trained on Costa.

Costa’s eyes narrowed, and Santiago wondered if he was about to do something rash, but then the captain’s gun clattered onto the floor.

“She’s a witch, senhor. I was trying to protect you from her spell,” Costa said, raising his hands in the air. He gestured with his foot to the woman beside him.

Cardoso raised a suspicious brow. “A witch, you say? And why would you be trying to protect me when you were trying to kill me a few minutes ago?”

The captain shook his head. “That was never my desire, Comodoro. I was merely doing Mr. Mendes’s wishes after he threatened to have me keelhauled.[38]I would never willingly attack an officer, senhor.”

The commodore turned a hateful glare toward Santiago while Costa smirked victoriously.

But the captain didn’t know his only leverage against Santiago was currently rowing away with Adriano Rodriguez.

Santiago smiled back at Costa, making the other man’s expression falter.

“Is what your captain said true, Mr. Mendes?” Cardoso barked, moving his pistol toward the merchant.

Santiago dropped his own weapon and took a step forward. “Not a word of it, senhor! I was never part of the attack on you, and I had nothing to do with the attack on the king either. Keep your pistol aimed on your true enemy, and I can explain everything. Just let me make sure Senhorita Fairborn is all right first.”

Cardoso didn’t look convinced, but he nodded and gestured for the man to join them on his ship.

Costa’s eyes widened in shock. “What are you doing, Mendes?!”

“What I should have done a long time ago,old friend. Telling the truth.” Santiago grabbed a rope and swung himself over. He knelt before Briony and checked her neck for a pulse.

After a few seconds, he sighed in relief.Just knocked out. With any luck, she’ll wake in the next few minutes.

Costa gritted his teeth, his fury threatening to spill over. “It’s your word against mine. It was your carriage in Lisbon that night. Who do you think the commodore will believe?”

Santiago shook his head, almost feeling pity toward his former friend. “But see, it’s not just my word against yours. Others know what you’re really capable of, and they’re willing to testify against you.”

“Not if I can help it!” And before anyone knew what was happening, Costa had retrieved his pistol and grabbed the commodore from behind. He shoved the gun against the man’s temple, placing the commodore between himself and Santiago.

Cardoso’s sailors reached for their weapons, but Costa shouted, “Don’t even try it, or the commodore dies!”

He tugged the commodore backward, positioning himself with his back to the ship’s railing, a place where sneaking up on him would be impossible.

“You have nowhere to go, Costa,” Cardoso growled.

“He’s right,” Santiago said. “There’s no need for further bloodshed. Just give this up.”

Cardoso glanced around, searching for a way out of the situation.

He has to know it’s hopeless. With my word, Briony’s, and Rodriguez’s, he can’t get out of this.