upper lip. “I went to the ships that were heading to Portugal and begged them to take me in return for work. An English ship captain took pity on me and let me work in his ship’s kitchen on the way here. It was only two weeks, but it was . . .”
It had been almost unbearable. The work was hot, endless, and confusing, since she’d never cooked before. She’d burned her delicate hands several times and was always relieved when the time came to wash the pans and dishes. Hot water was tolerable, at least. But the cook—a stout, older woman named Mrs. Davies who couldgrab a pot of boiling water with her leathery brown hands without flinching—spoke Portuguese. She’d spent the entire two weeks imparting her wisdom about preparing food. She protected Marina from the blandishments of the seamen who came down to eat. And when they reached the Golden City, Mrs. Davies had even told Marina that if she didn’t find her father, she was welcome to come back to the ship to work. After all, it was illegal then for a sereia even to enter the Golden City. Marina had been thankful when she found her father quickly. Going back to that hot kitchen hadn’t been an appealing option.
“It was?” Joaquim prompted.
She felt her cheeks flush. “It was difficult .”
That was the wrong thing to say, because his attention focused on her, his brow furrowed with worry. “In what way?” he asked sharply.
She gazed up at his face, perplexed by his tone, and then understood. He’s afraid they mistreated me. After all, Oriana had been told she’d been murdered by the crew of the ship she’d been taken up by. Such things probably did happen. But not to her. “The cook was kind to me,” she reassured him, “and watched over me like a mother hen. But I never want to go near a stove again.”
The tension in his shoulders eased. “I wish it had been easier for you. That took bravery, boarding a ship full of people you didn’t know and coming to Portugal.”
Marina shook her head. Oriana would never have gone begging to a ship full of humans. She would have stolen a ship and sailed to Portugal herself, or done something else brave and daring. “I just asked, and they helped me.”
“Sometimes asking for help is harder than trying to find your own way.”
As much as she would like to believe that, she knew better. She’d always been the cowardly one, hiding behind Oriana for protection from her cousins and the other girls at school. Even this—stowingaway on Joaquim’s ship—while it seemed daring, had been Ana’s idea, not hers. And it hasn’t gone well so far .
Marina let out a sigh and turned her eyes to the sparkling water. She didn’t know what she was doing on a ship like this, unlike Aga. She was only in the way.
“Why did it take two weeks?” he asked then. “It shouldn’t take more than a few days to reach Portugal.”
“We went to England first, then Portugal.”
“Ah, now I understand. Will you know when we’ve reached the edge of sereia territory?” Joaquim asked then, changing the subject. “Will you hear it first?”
Finally an area where I know more than Aga . “Yes. I can warn you when we’re close.”
“João and I will need to stop our ears.”
She hoped the call wouldn’t have too much effect on Joaquim. He was hers, after all. “The navy’s not going to try to convince you to jump overboard. They just want you to sail elsewhere . To go around the islands.”
His eyes focused inward as he calculated something. “So they’ll try to make me change course?”
“Yes. Exactly.”
“Then you and Aga can’t let us.”
“I’ll do my best,” she said. “And once we pass through the blockade, they’ll leave us alone.”
At least she hoped that was true.
CHAPTER 10
I LHAS DAS S EREIAS
A fter a luncheon of shrimp with garlic and herbs, Duilio and her grandmother discussed the implications of
It had been almost unbearable. The work was hot, endless, and confusing, since she’d never cooked before. She’d burned her delicate hands several times and was always relieved when the time came to wash the pans and dishes. Hot water was tolerable, at least. But the cook—a stout, older woman named Mrs. Davies who couldgrab a pot of boiling water with her leathery brown hands without flinching—spoke Portuguese. She’d spent the entire two weeks imparting her wisdom about preparing food. She protected Marina from the blandishments of the seamen who came down to eat. And when they reached the Golden City, Mrs. Davies had even told Marina that if she didn’t find her father, she was welcome to come back to the ship to work. After all, it was illegal then for a sereia even to enter the Golden City. Marina had been thankful when she found her father quickly. Going back to that hot kitchen hadn’t been an appealing option.
“It was?” Joaquim prompted.
She felt her cheeks flush. “It was difficult .”
That was the wrong thing to say, because his attention focused on her, his brow furrowed with worry. “In what way?” he asked sharply.
She gazed up at his face, perplexed by his tone, and then understood. He’s afraid they mistreated me. After all, Oriana had been told she’d been murdered by the crew of the ship she’d been taken up by. Such things probably did happen. But not to her. “The cook was kind to me,” she reassured him, “and watched over me like a mother hen. But I never want to go near a stove again.”
The tension in his shoulders eased. “I wish it had been easier for you. That took bravery, boarding a ship full of people you didn’t know and coming to Portugal.”
Marina shook her head. Oriana would never have gone begging to a ship full of humans. She would have stolen a ship and sailed to Portugal herself, or done something else brave and daring. “I just asked, and they helped me.”
“Sometimes asking for help is harder than trying to find your own way.”
As much as she would like to believe that, she knew better. She’d always been the cowardly one, hiding behind Oriana for protection from her cousins and the other girls at school. Even this—stowingaway on Joaquim’s ship—while it seemed daring, had been Ana’s idea, not hers. And it hasn’t gone well so far .
Marina let out a sigh and turned her eyes to the sparkling water. She didn’t know what she was doing on a ship like this, unlike Aga. She was only in the way.
“Why did it take two weeks?” he asked then. “It shouldn’t take more than a few days to reach Portugal.”
“We went to England first, then Portugal.”
“Ah, now I understand. Will you know when we’ve reached the edge of sereia territory?” Joaquim asked then, changing the subject. “Will you hear it first?”
Finally an area where I know more than Aga . “Yes. I can warn you when we’re close.”
“João and I will need to stop our ears.”
She hoped the call wouldn’t have too much effect on Joaquim. He was hers, after all. “The navy’s not going to try to convince you to jump overboard. They just want you to sail elsewhere . To go around the islands.”
His eyes focused inward as he calculated something. “So they’ll try to make me change course?”
“Yes. Exactly.”
“Then you and Aga can’t let us.”
“I’ll do my best,” she said. “And once we pass through the blockade, they’ll leave us alone.”
At least she hoped that was true.
CHAPTER 10
I LHAS DAS S EREIAS
A fter a luncheon of shrimp with garlic and herbs, Duilio and her grandmother discussed the implications of
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