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"Salva" Robin hunched over, rising slowly "What are you doing here?" He saw Chris, and Nottingharabbed the bars of his cell Wisps of smoke rose from his hands, and he pulled them away "What the hell is this?"
She pretended surprise "Why, vengeance, inally envisioned it, but I think he will be satisfied with the alternative I have provided"
"You, allying yourself with Nottingha you would never have done" The contessa glanced at Nottingha tiland and obtain justice for my sister"
"Your sister"
"You never " Salva’s eyes took on a strange cast "For all the sins heaped upon her head, she was an innocent, ht bathe in her tears Well, I will give them tears I willno sense"
"Do I not make myself clear? I shall have justice," she said "I shall punish the sevenneurs" Robin shook his head "You know that they did only what had to be done"
"You dare say that toand turned to smile at Chris "You should kno fond Lord Locksley is of abducting wohaht before they were to be married He spirited her all the way to Scotland, where he raped her and left her in a convent She died bearing his bastard"
Robin hit the bars again, this time with his body
Chris recoiled, both fro and the smile on the contessa’s face "You’re insane"
"Ask him," Salva said "You should have sohaht your husband’s body home," Robin said, his body still, his voice cal of you in return for that favor I ask it now Take Agent Renshaw out of here and put her on a plane for A to interfere with your plans No one would believe her"
Chris turned her head "I’ you--"
"Shut up, you idiotbut trouble to e with Nottingha I never told you, caro," Salva walked over to Robin’s cell "I did not send onlythe jardin wars I sentthe manuscript "Caesar reht up until thewas at its worst When he had the chance to cut off dear Arno’s head, as I had instructed hirabbing for her throat, but the contessa glided out of reach
"I do owe you a debt for bringing back the absolute proof of Caesar’s love and devotion for e with Nottingham"
"You can’t leave us here like this," Chris said "Please What do you want?"
"My legacy" Salva pulled on a pair of latex gloves, taking theit to theshe tore the ancient book in half, splitting it down the center of the spine As Chris cringed at the wanton destruction, the contessa peeled back the binding cover and revealed a small niche From it she carefully removed a little stone vial sealed with red wax
"There you are" She transferred the vial to a crystal box, in which it fit snugly She held up the box to admire the vial "Beautiful, is it not? It contains my sister Beatrice’s last tears"
"God, no" Robin sounded sick "Salva, you must destroy that vial"
"My lord, ould I throay acy? She promised them to me She vowed that if they came for her, she would hide them in the book" The contessa’s eyes becaot to the book before I did, and sold it for a handful of gold, never knowing the real treasure she had hidden inside it"
Chris saw Robin’s eyes flash copper "Salva, you cannot do this You knohat can happen if you open that vial You were there You kno many died" When she didn’t respond, he shouted, "Listen to me"
The contessa stared blindly at him "I promised her that I would If they came for her And they did" She drew a rosary out of her bodice and kissed the dangling cross "This tihed as she closed her fist over the beads, and tiny shards of broken glass began to fall to the floor "All of them"