He can't promise him that. He doesn't argue. He repeats it in his head, where no one can argue with it, and he means it as much as he can, but he doesn't push. He lies down and he's quiet, trying to imagine slipping out of Skyhold with Zevran and leaving Thedas to its fate, trying to imagine being the sort of person who could do that and not hate himself.

"No," he decides, and skips over all the nobler explanations for the one Zevran won't be able to roll his eyes at. "I don't want to die. Not yet. If they can stop it."