“Yes, well.” He shifted in his seat. “Don Leonardo was there waiting for me when I returned to port instead. He had intentions of making me give up my co-conspirators’ names. Like I would tell him my secrets.” He winced at the memory. “When I wouldn’t share like he wanted, he whipped me. Several lashes across my chest. When that didn’t work, he held me above the ground by my wrists for two excruciating hours.”

I caressed his cheek.

“I’ve mostly healed. All but my wrists.” He shrugged. “Between them and Rossetti I will never forget.” He kissed my hand. “Grazie, tesoro mio.”

Our reprieve from the Imperial ships didn’t last long. Just after the noonday sun began to lower, a call rang out. Two of them had found their way to us. We had no choice but to face them.

José asked me to go below. “And miss out on all the adventure?” I asked as I grabbed ammunition to distribute to the men.

“Be careful,” he said before giving me a hard kiss.

One of the Imperial ships fired its guns first. I ducked, narrowly avoiding flying debris. Grapeshot soared over the deck of our ship, landing just shy of our mast.

Black billowing hell clouds reared up from the opposing ship as the boom of cannons reverberated through the air. The tangy sulfur smell of gunpowder engulfed us like a heavy wet fog. I tried to breathe through my mouth but ended up choking on the taste of soot and ash that burned the back of my throat. Looking around me, I was immediately reminded of the sermons of my childhood that preached hellfire and brimstone.

From my vantage point I could see the Brazilian sailors on the next ship. Deftly, they reloaded their guns, leaving little time for us to take shelter. I lifted a discarded gun to fire at them. One, two, three rounds. I ducked down, reloaded, and came up for more. The men around me yelled. I couldn’t make anything out, just inexplicable noise. I shot one of the Imperial sailors in the head. My bullet pierced his eyeball. I saw his fellow sailor’s anger flash across his face before I ducked down to reload. That’s when it happened.

Men and debris rose into the air around me, then I realized I was flung into the air with them. I landed with a thud against a semisoft mass of bodies. I tried to get up, but my vision tilted, causing me to lose my balance. The noise of the battle was drowned out by the buzzing that filled my head.

“Anita!” I tried to get up to find who was calling me, but I was pulled back down by some unseen force. I fought, trying to push it away.

“Anita, Anita, calm down. It’s me.” I turned my head to see José’s face come into focus. “It’s me. I’ve got you.” He picked me up and carried me belowdecks into our room.

“Stay here,” he said, laying me down on our bed. He kissed me briefly before running out the door and back up to the top to rejoin the fight.