Dungeon

She was met by one of the jailer's, a sallow-skinned man with dirt under his fingernails and clothes stained with ale, blood and only the gods knew what else. He had the sour smell of someone who hadn't bathed in a while.

"What you want?" He asked, glaring at her.

He coudln't read, but he recognised the royal seal. "Which one you want? Got a few in," he said.

"Come take a looo," he said, toying with his keys as he led the way down the corridor. "Why does it matter what they're here for? Are all thieves or murderers or the like. You want a thief or a murderer?"

He showed her to the common room where the thieves and other less dangerous criminals were kept. Some had the starved look she recognised because she had seen it on Gendry and Rosey, others had nast coughs, but a few looked strong and healthy. Some were men and some were women, and some were still children.

"We keep those in different cells," he said. "Some have bars on the windows."

He showed her the individual rooms where the murderers and others were kept, with tiny barred windows in the door.

"Of course. Killed three women in a month. And left another for dead. He's to hang."

The guard nodded. He let her into the cell and locked the door behind her.

The man had killed many more people than the jailer even know, people of all ages, and he shrank at nothing. But he cowered from Kesi now, screamed, called her a monster.

The man screams as the blade bites into him, blood spewing out from the wound, onto his torso and onto Kesi's hand too. As far as she knew, the spell was working.

He man walked over, peered in the window. "What the hell? YOu killed him?"

He wanted to ask questions but he let her out. "You've got blood on you."