Book Four: Chapter 190

At some point, she must have noticed, because her assaults were now less ambitious, and she finally tossed him in the sand.

“It’s that damned succubus,” she told him. “I was aware she was training you, but no mortal should have a grasp on this place like you do.”

“Mmph,” he replied. It wasn’t a very kind thing to say to a queen, but he figured it was lost in translation anyway. He stood on wobbling legs and yanked at the metal on his face. It didn’t come off, so he held up his right hand as if he was wearing a sock puppet and mimed talking with it.

“You fucked up bringing me here,” he told her, his voice coming from his hand. “If I give up, I die. You can slow time, trap me here, but I’m aware that this isn’t my body. My real body is with Cecilia, and even if you trap me here forever, you’ll be trapped, too. So you can slap me around, set me on fire, whatever, but it’s far better than the alternative. Your show of power is meaningless, Your Highness, because this i