“You didn’t tell me.”
“I thought I did,” Elend said, frowning.
Vin shook her head.
“I apologize,” he said, leaned up and kissed her, then turned back to his scribbling.
And a kiss is supposed to make it all right? she thought sullenly, sitting back on a stack of books.
It was a silly thing; there was really no reason that Elend should have told her so quickly. And yet, the exchange left her feeling odd. Before, he would have asked her to do something about the problem. Now, he’d apparently handled it all on his own.
Sazed sighed, closing his tome. “Your Majesty, I can find no holes. I have read your laws over six times now.”
Elend nodded. “I feared as much. The only advantage we could gain from the law is to misinterpret it intentionally—which I will not do.”
“You are a good man, Your Majesty,” Sazed said. “If you had seen a hole in the law, you would have fixed it. Even if you hadn’t caught the flaws, one of us would have, when you asked for our opinions.”
He lets them call him “Your Majesty,” Vin thought. He tried to get them to stop that. Why let them use it now?
Odd, that Elend would finally start to think of himself as king after the throne had been taken from him.
“Wait,” Tindwyl said, eyes unglazing. “You read over this law before it was ratified, Sazed?”
Sazed flushed.
“He did,” Elend said. “In fact, Sazed’s suggestions and ideas were instrumental in helping me craft the current code.”
“I see,” Tindwyl said through tight lips.
Elend frowned. “Tindwyl, you were not invited to this meeting. You are suffered at it. Your advice has been well appreciated, but I will not allow you to insult a friend and guest of my household, even if those insults are indirect.”
“I apologize, Your Majesty.”
“You will not apologize to me,” Elend said. “You will apologize to Sazed, or you will leave this conference.”
Tindwyl sat for a moment; then she stood and left the room. Elend didn’t appear offended. He simply turned back to writing his letters.
“You didn’t need to do that, Your Majesty,” Sazed said. “Tindwyl’s opinions of me are well founded, I think.”
“I will do as I see fit, Sazed,” Elend said, still writing. “No offense, my friend, but you have a history of letting people treat you poorly. I won’t stand for it in my house—by insulting your help with my laws, she insulted me as well.”
Sazed nodded, then reached over to pick up a new volume.
Vin sat quietly. He’s changing so quickly. How long has it been since Tindwyl arrived? Two months? None of the things Elend said were that different from what he would have said before—but the way he said them was completely different. He was firm, demanding in a way that implied he expected respect.
It’s the collapse of his throne, the danger of the armies, Vin thought. The pressures are forcing him to change, to either step up and lead or get crushed. He’d known about the wells. What other things had he discovered, and not told her?
“Elend?” Vin asked. “I’ve thought more about the Deepness.”
“That’s wonderful, Vin,” Elend said, smiling at her. “But, I really don’t have time right now. …”
Vin nodded, and smiled at him. However, her thoughts were more troubled. He’s not uncertain, like he once was. He doesn’t have to rely on people as much for support.
He doesn’t need me anymore.
It was a foolish thought. Elend loved her; she knew that. His aptitude wouldn’t make her less valuable to him. And yet, she couldn’t stamp out her worries. He’d left her once before, when he’d been trying to juggle the needs of his house with his love for her, and the action had nearly crushed her.
What would happen if he abandoned her now?
He won’t, she told herself. He’s a better man than that.
But, good men had failed relationships, didn’t they? People grew apart—particularly people who were so different to begin with. Despite herself—despite her self-assurances—she heard a small voice pop up in the back of her mind.
It was a voice she’d thought banished, a voice she hadn’t ever expected to hear again.
Leave him first, Reen, her brother, seemed to whisper in her head. It will hurt less.
Vin heard a rustling outside. She perked up slightly, but it had been too soft for the others to hear. She stood, walking over to the ventilation window.
“Going back on patrol?” Elend asked.
She turned, then nodded.
“You might want to scout out Cett’s defenses at Keep Hasting,” Elend said.
Vin nodded again. Elend smiled at her, then turned back to his letters. Vin pulled open the window and stepped out into the night. Zane stood in the mists, feet barely resting against the stone lip running beneath the window. He stood at a skewed angle, feet against the wall, body jutting out into the night.
Vin glanced to the side, noting the bit of metal that Zane was Pulling against to hold himself stationary. Another feat of prowess. He smiled at her in the night.
“Zane?” she whispered.
Zane glanced upward, and Vin nodded. A second later, they both landed atop Keep Venture’s metal roof.
Vin turned to Zane. “Where have you been?”
He attacked.
Vin jumped back in surprise as Zane spun forward, a swirling form in black, knives twinkling. She came down with her feet half off the rooftop, tense. A spar, then? she thought.
Zane struck, his knife coming dangerously close to her neck as she dodged to the side. There was something different about his attacks this time. Something more dangerous.
Vin cursed and pulled out her own daggers, jumping back from another attack. As she moved, Zane sliced through the air, cutting the tip off one of her mistcloak tassels.
She turned to face him. He walked forward, but held no combat posture. He seemed confident, yet unconcerned, as if he were strolling up to an old friend, not entering a fight.
All right then, she thought, jumping forward, swiping with her daggers.
Zane stepped forward casually, turning just slightly to the side, easily dodging one knife. He reached out, grabbing her other hand with an effortless motion, stopping its blow.
Vin froze. Nobody was that good. Zane looked down at her, eyes dark. Unconcerned. Unworried.
He was burning atium.
Vin pulled free of his grip, jumping backward. He let her go, watching as she fell into a crouch, sweat beading on her brow. She felt a sudden, sharp stab of terror—a guttural, primal feeling. She had feared this day from the moment she’d learned of atium. It was the terror of knowing she was powerless, despite all of her skills and abilities.
It was the terror of knowing she was going to die.
She turned to jump away, but Zane leaped forward before she even began to move. He knew what she would do before she did herself. He grabbed her shoulder from behind, pulling her backward, throwing her down to the rooftop.
Vin slammed against the metal roofing, gasping in pain. Zane stood above her, looking down, as if waiting.
I won’t be beaten this way! Vin thought with desperation. I won’t be killed like a trapped rat!
She reached and swung a knife at his leg, but it was useless. He pulled the leg back slightly—just enough—so that her swing didn’t even nick the cloth of his trousers. She was like a child, being held at a distance by a much larger, more powerful foe. This was what it must be like, being a normal person, trying to fight her.