Chapter 7

Under cover of a moon-dim night, Amina, Dalila, Tinbu, and freed crew slip from Aden’s offices to the beach, parting from Yusuf, who refuses to abandon his family. They swim to the Marawati, where Amina boards first, silently subdues the lone guard at her captain’s bench, and signals the others aboard.

Tinbu unveils a hidden compartment holding his bow, Amina’s rahmani manuals, and four naft canisters salvaged from the iron wreck. Despite Dalila’s doubts, Amina commits to using two canisters against the nearby warship, reserving two for the second galley.

Tiny’s first throw misses; the second shatters a lantern and ignites naft, plunging the warship into fire and confusion. As soldiers flail and some abandon ship, Amina’s crew rips up the false decking to deploy oars and begins rowing under Tinbu’s lead while Amina steers through arrows and chaos.

Guiding by stars toward the breakwater, Amina finds the second warship moving to block the exit. Sensing crew doubt, she orders full speed and announces they will ram, forcing a decision from the opposing captain. Arrows fall; Amina has Tinbu fetch flaming arrows, then climbs the mast herself to make the decisive shots.

Amina sets the second galley’s mainsail aflame, tipping its commander into clearing the channel rather than risk collision. The Marawati surges past the breakwater into the dark open ocean as cheers rise behind her and the burning ships light Sira Bay, marking a loud, public end to Amina’s promised discretion in Aden.