"Time doesn't mean anything here," Lambert reminds Syrlya, shaking his head slightly. He certainly knows he can hardly keep track of it right now, and he's almost certain that if he parts from Syrlya right now, he'll lose track of it all over again.

But what makes a decent alternative? He cocks his head, thinking. "Count it off in songs, maybe. If I'm not there in seven, you have to figure out something without me. Can you do that?"

His grip on Syrlya's hand tightens briefly, as he continues. "... I'm good in a fight. But I'm not good at this. The last curse I tried to break, the ogre killed the guy who hired me before I got the chance." The most he can do, if it comes down to that, is buy them some time.