"Lyssa," Ren sighed, not even turning her head. She kept her chin resting on her knees, shivering as the damp cold of the dungeon seeped into her bones. "I should have known. You smell like sour grapes and swamp water."
In the adjacent cell, the Green Snake Concubine stepped out of the shadows. She was in her human form, her skin rippling with scales as if she couldn't quite hold the shape in her agitation. Her fine clothes were tattered, stained with the grime of the cell she had occupied since Ren had blinded her with chili powder.
"And you smell like a wet dog," Lyssa sneered, gripping the rusted iron bars that separated them. She looked Ren up and down, taking in the makeshift snake-skin skirt and the shivering form. "So, the King finally grew bored of his toy. I told you, Mammal. I told you he would discard you. You are a novelty. And novelties lose their shine."
