"What happened? I thought you were ready to decide?" Abraham pressed, tilting his head.
He was certain he had cornered Adrian into taking the deal. After all, Adrian had far too much to lose if he didn't.
But then, something shifted.
Adrian narrowed his eyes, his voice cold. "Can you promise me something? That the person I am before that one minute… will be the same after? Can you promise I'll stay sane?"
The smile slipped from Abraham's face.
In a measured, detached tone, he replied, "That depends entirely on you. I can't promise what happens once the minute is over. The outcome will be yours to bear."
Adrian's stomach sank. He knew Abraham couldn't lie under the spell. And those words set off every alarm in his mind.
What was he planning to do to him? Break him? Twist his thoughts?
Abraham sneered. "What's this? Don't tell me the great Adrian—the one-in-a-century runesmith—doesn't trust his own mind. Has fear finally caught up with you?"
