He gasped, and his face paled slightly. His hand trembled as he reached for the parchment, then pulled back before making contact.
"This is a soul contract," Maelor said quietly. Not a question. A statement of fact, arrived at through the particular knowledge only ancient beings possessed.
"Binding at the level of essence rather than mere law."
"Yes," Jack confirmed.
"What is the price?" Maelor asked, and there was something almost broken in his voice, something that suggested he understood exactly what kind of commitment he was about to make.
"For all of this. There is always a price with something like this. What am I signing away?"
Jack retrieved a quill from within the portfolio.
An elegant instrument carved from bone, the tip gleaming with silver that matched the ink.
He placed it beside the document with care, positioning it so that all Maelor would need to do was reach out and grasp it.
