As we drew closer, I couldn’t tear my eyes away. The brig was bottoming against the reef. With every wave that passed, its rigging and sails shuddered. Over the storm’s howling, I heard the ship’s bell tolling desperately. Someone was ringing it hard enough to shake the rafters in heaven.

I turned back to Sewel. “They need help. We could lead them to a safer depth.”

He turned to me, his eyes murderous. “It en’t right to meddle in others’ fates, Francisca.”

“But…” I gripped the gunwale so tight, the skin on my knuckles burned. There had to be dozens of sailors aboard that ship. I couldn’t let them die. Maybe Sewel was a murderer, but not me.

I picked up the oars from the well.

“Put those down.”

I slid them into the locks.

“You got one more chance, Francisca. Put those down, or I’ll—”

I dug the paddles into the frothing sea and heaved. As I brought the oars forward again, something slammed into my back. The breath drove out of me. I flew forward, cracking my head on the keel. The world flashed white and then went black.

For long seconds I couldn’t see. I could only feel Sewel’s hands, wrenching me up. Turning me. As my sight returned, I found myself on my back. Sewel’s face hovered above me, rain pouring from his chin and his nose in watery ropes. I’d seen him angry a thousand times before, but never like this.

“Now what?” he said, his breath gasping and ragged. “What are you going to do now, Fran?” He leaned down, bringing his face close to mine. I kicked and thrashed, but he held me by the neck and weighed more than a mountain. “That en’t gonna do it, Frannie. What about now—what’ll you do?” His hand shot under my shirt and squeezed, hard. “Nothing. That’s what you’ll do. You’ll yield to me, Francisca. Once and for all. You’ll learn and you will obey me.”

He waited for me to speak.

I couldn’t. I had gone under. I was ten fathoms below. Far, far away.

He sat back, gripping the gunwale as a wave came, making us spin and tumble.

I stayed where I was, slowly rising back into myself. Pain lanced into my head where it had struck the keel. My body was half-submerged in the slushing well. Every bit of me burned hot and cold at the same time.

Sewel searched for the brig, his head swiveling in panic. “Where is it?” He stepped toward the stern and braced the gunwale as he rose to see farther away, his back turned to me.

I struggled upright. Everything blurred and spun. I had waves of my own now, waves inside me. My eyes fell to the oars. I picked one up and crawled toward Sewel, fighting against the wildly pitching wherry. As we sank into the trough of a wave, where the water smoothed, I saw my chance. I reached back and swung the oar with every bit of strength in me.