"There's a priest at the Chapel of Santa Maria della Croce. Go to him and ask him to perform rites for the child's soul. Then climb all nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine steps on your hands and knees, one bow per step, and bring back a blessed charm for Sienna. Do that, and we can put this whole matter behind us. Alright?"
I stared at him, my eyes burning red.
"Cesare Delgado, you and I are finished. If you want a blessed charm, go get it yourself."
I dragged myself off the bed, trying to leave this wretched place.
He blocked my path.
He scooped me up, ignoring my thrashing, and threw me into the back seat of a black sedan. The driver tore north along dark roads until the headlights caught the base of the mountain where the chapel sat, invisible against the night sky.
"Take her up the mountain."
Two soldiers seized me by the arms, one on each side. I hauled my broken body forward, dropping to my knees and pressing my forehead to the stone with every step.
Two days without food or water, fresh from a miscarriage. I passed out and woke and passed out again along the way.