I walk up to Jacob, place the noose around his neck and tighten it. Both guards take a step back, letting me take over. With this hanging, I can’t drop the flooring underneath him as that will snap his neck, I have to have it lowered, so his toes can just still touch it to hold himself up. I walk to my levers and place a hand on one. The crowd stills, I can hear them breathing. I can feel my guard behind me, breathing heavily.
Do the big drop, I won’t let him die yet. I promise.
That will snap his neck, I can’t.
Trust me, my death queen.
I breathe in, and then out. I pull the lever.
Snap.
Shit.
Jacob is wiggling in the noose; he’s still alive!
I hear Grayroaring with laughter in my head and I feel like he is standing closer to me.
As promised, his neck isn't broken, my death goddess. He can feel everything right now.
I smile under my mask and watch as Jacob gargles and squirms like a worm on a hook. I take a quick glance behind me atmyguard, his eyes are pure black, and he has a delightfully wicked smile on his lips. The crowd cheers and throws food at Jacob’s body. I take a step back but keep an eye on his breathing. I can’t let him die.
I won't let him die until you tell me you’re ready, my crow.
I sigh in relief. How long do I want to keep him hanging for?
The next part is more fun. You get to gut him.
I clamp my legs together. He’s saying all the right words to me. I want to gut him.Now.
Jacob’s wiggling slows and that means it’s time to release him. I pull the lever again and it drops the rope completely, letting his body fall to the floor. Jacob gasps for air as the guards from earlier step up and quickly drag him back up to the gallows. This next bit isn't for the faint hearted. Most people are aware what goes on with this torture method, but ithasbeen a while since it was last performed. I’d better put on a show. I wonder how many people will vomit.
I turn to Gray and see he has gone to light a barrel of wood and makes the flames hot and high. He looks at me, nods and smiles. The fire is ready.
Once Jacob is on his knees in front of me again, facing the crowd, one of the guards yanks his head up by his hair. My guard comes round in front of me and opens his hands.
My blade.
My girl.
He has her and he’s presenting her to me. I look up to him, he nods and I take my blade from his hands, still not touching him.Yet. I step around to Jacob’s right side, and I look at the crowd. All eyes are onme. Most women have looked away, but some men are smiling. Some are leaving, some are getting closer.
I lean forward, Jacob’s eyes widening and following my blade, as I place my dagger to his stomach. I stab and drag it through him, cutting slowly from left to right. He screams, a pitiful weak thing, bubbling and frothing with bloody spittle. His insides seep out through the cut.
Red.
The crowd gasps. I hear vomiting, crying, children screaming.
I like it.
My guard hands me a hot branding iron and I grab the handle. Not touching. Not yet. I face Jacob, his eyes open and on me, barely any life in them. He's coughing up blood weakly, involuntarily.
“Drop his head so he can fully see his own insides.” My guard speaks out for me, his voice laced with lust, with power and dominance. He read my mind. The guard holding up Jacob’s head drops it forward and then steps back to join the other guard, both on standby. Jacob pales even further as he looks at his innards, spluttering blood all over them, blubbering and whimpering.
Red.
I aim the poker and I place it slowly into his entrails. Jacob starts to fall forward but my guard catches him and holds him up,hiseyes on me, not on the work I am doing. I steal that gaze for a moment before I put my poker into another part of Jacob’s intestines, and grin as they begin to smoulder.
Pull them out now, then put them in the fire.
