His head lifts a little at Avery's voice. He listens, fixed in place. There's relief in there. Genuine relief that reaches something that feels far away at the moment. It's muffled by the twisting sense of illness in him. He sounds like he could cry.

"Of course! Of course not! You wouldn't do that to me! You'd never do that. You're wonderful. I'd work for you! I'd do anything you asked! Whatever made you happy."

The rocking eases a little bit, but not entirely. The crack in the enchantment keeps growing.