Eighteen seconds might have seemed short to anyone watching from the outside, but they were enough for Damon to separate every force trying to pass through him. Vorn's mark advanced along his left arm, cold and artificial, searching for the memory. Seraphine's circle pressed against his meridians, trying to force the root to respond. The false mechanism vibrated beneath his feet, creating the illusion that the Heart was inside that chamber. Far below the mountains, the true Heart remained distant and silent, as though waiting to discover what choice he would make.
Seraphine kept her hand over the silver circle. The agents behind her formed a defensive line, but none of them attacked. That confirmed Damon's suspicion. Seraphine needed him conscious, whole, and convinced that he stood before the Heart. The entire structure depended on his participation, even if she intended to call it destiny.
