TOOAFP Chapter 125: Into the Foul Nest (1)

It was Kasha's sense of smell that warned her first.

The moment she crossed the threshold of the Crown Prince's palace, the stench hit her—thick and iron-dark, the smell of blood, pervasive and relentless. And beneath it, something else entirely: a rancid, acrid odor she couldn't quite name, something that turned her stomach in a way she had no words for.

The closer they drew to Nigel's bedroom, the worse it became. By the time they reached the door, breathing had grown genuinely difficult. Her throat tightened against the urge to retch.

"Ah. Does the smell bother you a little?"

Nigel had noticed her expression stiffen. He said it the way one might remark on the weather—lightly, almost cheerfully. He seemed more than simply pleased with himself; he seemed elated.

"Personally, I find this smell far easier to bear. If I don't do it this way, I get the urge…