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Wayne was awakened quite rough-like, in a manner unbefitting his grand dreams, in which he was king of the dogs. Had a crown shaped like a bowl and everything. He blinked his eyes, feeling nice and warm, and got hit with a blast of air. Drowsy, he remembered he was flying in some kind of rusting airship with a fellow w... |
and a bad. Wayne moved to retreat into the ship’s interior, but as he scrambled over the seats, he somehow got tangled a little with Telsin and, in the process, kicked one of the packs out the opening. Wayne stared down, aghast, as it fell and actually hit one of the men on the head. “What did you do?” Telsin demanded.... |
the side that was pointed upward, and hopped out. The snow crunched when he dropped into it. He hadn’t expected that—the only snow he’d seen had been the occasional flurry up in the Roughs, and it never got anywhere near this deep. Why would it crunch? The stuff was made of water, not cereal flakes. He stumbled out of ... |
the ship, looking around frantically, but then spotted it peeking from a snowdrift nearby, having fallen free as they landed. He picked it up with a sigh of relief. “Everyone back,” Wax said, steadying himself with a stable footing, the wind blowing his mistcoat tassels back and whipping them about. The others moved aw... |
and MeLaan. “Your sister,” Wayne said to Wax, “is kinda…” “Severe?” Marasi said. “I was gonna say bonkers,” Wayne admitted. “Though I’m not sure if it’s the good kinda bonkers or the bad kind, as of yet, as I haven’t had time to give it the proper evaluatin’.” “She’s been through a lot,” Wax said, eyes ahead. “We’ll ge... |
is abandoned, right? So none of the stuff in it belongs to anyone.” “Well, I’m sure a lot of people would claim it,” MeLaan said. “But ownership would be tough to prove.” “So…” “So I’d say don’t touch anything anyway,” MeLaan said. “Oh. Right.” She smiled at him, then continued on in through the open doorway behind the... |
right disturbing number of them, lying in awkward positions. And those pools around them … frozen blood. Wayne whistled softly. “They really went far to give this place a creepy look.” “Those bodies weren’t here originally,” Wax said dryly. “I think they must be— Wayne, what the hell is that?” “It fell right off,” Wayn... |
destroy this place.” “Yes,” Allik said. “Well, I think they either lied to you, or changed their minds.” Wax nodded toward the busted doors, then down the hallway, littered with bodies. “The lure of the Bands was too powerful for these fellows. I’d guess the dead ones we found near the ship were the ones determined to ... |
somewhat less threatening when you have an immortal along.” “Unless they have explosives,” MeLaan said. “If I lose a spike, you’d better be ready to stick it right back in. And I was serious—this is going to be awful for my clothing.” “You could do it without,” Wayne said hopefully. She thought for a moment, then shrug... |
so awful. Indeed, according to the Historica, without the work the kandra had done through the ages collecting atium, mankind would likely have been destroyed. The Lord Ruler is the same, Marasi thought. He was a monster. He created this spike by killing someone. And yet he somehow managed to get to Allik’s people and ... |
been writing. Why use the back? Either way, she’d drawn a small graph with points plotted on it. Usefulness was listed on one axis, and it had names up the other. Rusts—she’d assigned a number to everyone’s level of worth on the mission. Waxillium was a hundred, as was MeLaan. Wayne was a seventy-five. Marasi was an ei... |
him beside the outer doorway. “I just had my long-held assumptions about someone shattered in a brief moment. I’m wondering if every person I pass has similar depths, and if there’s any way to avoid the mistake of judging them so shallowly that I’m rocked when they show their true complexity. You?” “I was lookin’ at yo... |
last centuries. And since my bones are crystal, they can’t feel.” She grimaced as the arm straightened, the break seeming to heal. But it hadn’t, Wax knew—she couldn’t make bone, or heal it. “Another patch?” She nodded. She had stretched ligament along the sides of the break to hold it tight. She’d done that with many ... |
in silver. Wax looked to Allik. “I don’t recognize any of those,” the pilot said after swapping his metalminds. “If they’re writing, it’s not a language I understand.” “What do you want to do?” MeLaan asked. “Let’s get the others,” Wax said, thoughtful. “More brains to solve this will be helpful, and Marasi might recog... |
few coins upward to lift it farther, then they propped it up with rocks in the tracks at the sides. They still had to stoop to go underneath. They did find two more traps, which they set off as well. Wax found himself increasingly dissatisfied. So much work, he thought, noting again the wall section that had fallen in ... |
fur brushing cheeks red with the cold. His beard was stuck with snow, and he smiled at Wax, gloved hands resting atop an ivory walking stick. Marasi knelt in the doorway, her rifle trained directly on him. Edwarn stood alone, though his people—at least a hundred, perhaps more—were setting up tents and dumping supplies ... |
have—” Edwarn rapped his cane on the stones. It was banded in metal. Foolish; Wax could use that against him. “No need, no need,” Edwarn said. “I am not in your custody, Nephew. Stop entertaining this fantastical delusion that you can achieve anything by harassing me. Even if you were to somehow drag me back to Elendel... |
passed from the lips of a dying priest, to a doomed Hunter, to an airship captain, and now at last to me.” He spread his hands, smoking pipe in one. “You’re trying to trick me,” Wax said, narrowing his eyes. “Of course I am,” Suit said. “The question is, can you best me? Without an accommodation, we are at an impasse. ... |
be ready again for ten years. You could spend a lifetime guessing, and still have only a small chance of opening it.” He looked at Wax and smiled. “Apparently these symbols spell out something the Lord Ruler would have understood.” Wax glanced back at Allik, who shook his head, baffled. “They really make no sense to me... |
I seek rule. And yet you serve those who do the very same things as I. Your senate? It strangles the life from children with its economic policies.” Edwarn stepped forward, a motion which put the barrel of Wax’s gun right at his temple. “The longer you live, Waxillium, the more you’ll know I am right. The difference be... |
wisely returned home to gather more of his kind and mount a proper expedition. Kandra were immortal; he wouldn’t be hasty in trying to get in here. He’d have planned to take years studying the temple and extracting its secrets. Who, then? Telsin passed him, stepping to the dais. Glass crunched under her feet, and Wax g... |
against Wayne. Wayne was flung toward Marasi, canes clattering to the floor. He grunted, hitting the ground as Marasi tried to leap for Suit. Perhaps if she caught just him in a bubble with her, Wayne could— Her metal reserves were gone. Wayne stumbled up behind her, looking similarly confused. Telsin had tossed someth... |
Steris and Allik so he could cover them all at once. She considered trying something, but what? Her metal reserves were gone, and the import of what had just transpired was settling upon her. Waxillium was maybe bleeding to death at the bottom of that pit. Wayne had escaped, but had no bendalloy. MeLaan was down. She m... |
simply a member of the Set; she outranked Waxillium’s uncle. And she was obviously an Allomancer; the way she’d used the Allomantic grenade proved that. Suit climbed down, using a rope. Shortly after that, Marasi heard footsteps outside, and soon an array of soldiers in uniforms like those from the warehouse piled in. ... |
Now he prayed? What of his hatred? For a time, that light was everything to him. An hour could have passed as he crawled, or perhaps it had been only a minute. As he neared, he saw sentries in the darkness. People sitting arrayed before the light, casting long shadows into the depths of the room. The ceiling was low, b... |
blood trail would soon betray him. Still, Wax waited. He bowed himself, huddling down in the line of figures, imitating their stooped postures. Have to get those bracers … He’d get shot before he could reach them. If he could even make it that distance without passing out. “I did try to protect you,” Suit said. “What d... |
mask and sending him to the snowy ground. The guard reached down, ripping off the medallion. Allik gasped loudly, huddling on the cold stone. Beyond them, the field was a flurry of activity. Tents flapped in the wind, and men scurried around the fallen Hunter airship. A group of people in masks were being marched acros... |
Rubble shifted nearby, and rocks clattered. A second later Suit appeared, a cut in his arm resealing. He dusted himself off and glanced at Wax. “The trouble with Hemalurgy is in its limitations,” he said. “If you kill a man and steal his Metallic abilities, the resulting gift to you is weakened. Did you know that? What... |
he said, shaking his head. “No. No. I can’t do this without you.” “Yes you can. Fight.” “Not that part,” Wayne said. “The rest of it. Livin’. We … we’ll get you out of this.” He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms, then looked at the stone on top of Wax, then down at the blood pooling beneath. Then he sat back,... |
and scrambled up to Suit. She took the bracers, awed. “They don’t work,” Suit noted. “What do you mean?” “They’re out of attributes, I think. Their reserves gone.” “But they grant Allomancy too,” Telsin said, putting them on and waving toward one of the guards, who tossed her a vial of metals. She downed it, eager. “We... |
He’d know what it looked like, Marasi thought. He built it. We think it was in the shape of bracers, but it didn’t have to be. Could be anything. That would be smart, if you were making a weapon. These metalminds, you had to know what they did before they worked. You could protect yourself, so only someone who knew wha... |
where this is going,” Wax said. “I know what You’re going to say. You value choice. Everyone theorizes about it. But You can help. You’ve done it before, in placing me where I needed to go. You intervene. So why not intervene more? Prevent children from being killed. Make certain that constables arrive in time to stop ... |
yourself for that?” Wax clenched his jaw, but couldn’t force down the trembling that took him. He lived it again, holding her as she died. Knowing he’d killed her. That hatred seethed inside of him. Hatred for Harmony. Hatred for the world. And yes. Hatred for himself. “Why?” Wax asked. “Because you demanded it of me.”... |
people or objects, just energy coalesced. The metals shone brilliantly, as if they were holes into someplace different. Concentrated essence, providing a pathway to power. She was using the reserves with startling quickness. She slowed her speed, and for some reason the people beside her jumped, holding their ears. She... |
the blown snow that had stuck to his face melted away. Nearby, soldiers were regaining their feet and shouting to one another. “And now,” Steris said, “I think your earlier suggestion has merit.” * * * “Now what?” Wax asked Harmony. “I fade off into nothing?” “I don’t believe it’s nothing,” God said. “There is somethin... |
his feet by Pushing on tiny traces of metal in the ground beneath him. He landed and looked down at his left hand. The one that had been dangling, broken, before his face as he died. Clutched in it was an oversized spearhead crafted from sixteen different metals melded together. He looked up from it and toward Marasi, ... |
to—hopefully—slow down Waxillium’s minions. He eagerly marched aboard the new airship. Now this device, this was an advantage. The Bands could serve one man, make a deity out of him. A fleet of ships like this could deify an entire army. The wooden hallway inside had gaslights set into lamps with austere metal housings... |
The last ember of the fire, refusing to give up its spark. During the terrible march through the dead rain, her people had been given tiny sips of warmth from a metalmind. Enough to barely keep them alive, like plants locked in a dark shed for most of the day. But now, in this place, the cold was too pervasive—and the ... |
more than happy to oblige.” Petrine continued the distribution as Jordis armed herself with one of the guns. Though the warmth was wonderful, she still felt weak, and she didn’t want to look in her boots to see if her toes had frostbite. “I don’t know that we will put up much of a fight.” “Better than no fight at all, ... |
nose, then smashed his hand through one of the windows to the bridge, any cuts healing immediately. Inside, Suit sat alone. There was no sign of pilots, technicians, or servants. Just a wide, half-oval deck, not even carpeted, and Suit in a chair. Wax climbed in and raised the aluminum pistol. His boots thumped on the ... |
Would Suit detonate the bomb before he could arrive? His speed of body was nearly tapped out—Marasi must have used that in getting to him—so yes, Suit would have time, though would he actually do it? Would he blow himself up, along with this ship, to defeat Wax? If this were an ordinary criminal, Wax would have bet str... |
stop me is to shoot me. Let’s do it.” Wax fingered the Bands of Mourning, and felt himself smiling. “You don’t understand at all, do you?” “Oh, I do. I’ve seen it in you! The hidden hunger of the lawman, wishing to be cut free so he can kill. It’s what defines you and your type.” “No,” Wax said. He unhooked the holster... |
comfort she could offer. At the very least, MeLaan seemed to still be alive. Marasi rose, then hurried down the hallway with the traps, reaching the entryway with the murals. Outside, a war was going on, hundreds of gunshots echoing in the cold, snow-filled night. She was surprised to see that the people in masks seeme... |
plummeted. Snow-filled air was a roaring wind around them, flakes streaking past. Suit screamed. And then he Pushed. Suit dropped the coin from his mouth and used his Allomancy to Push it downward in a straight shot. It hit the approaching ground and slowed the two of them with a lurch. Wax decreased his weight just en... |
toward Waxillium on an invisible tether. “Will it break apart?” Allik asked. She looked at him with surprise, then down at his language medallion. “Warm choc and a blanket will do me for a minute,” he said, settling down and pulling his blanket around him. “Others are in greater need, yah? The ship. Will it break?” Mar... |
tied to the top of the Lord Ruler’s spear, feet dangling. He’d been gagged, he’d had his metalminds removed, and Waxillium had used Allomancy to leech away his metals. And this still seemed like it might not be cautious enough. He still had his spikes, as they weren’t sure how to remove them without killing him. He sho... |
the Set can build their own.” Marasi nodded. Not bad, Steris. “If they’ll sell,” Waxillium said. “I think that they will,” Steris said, looking to Jordis. “Because the good captain will persuade them that access to our Allomancers is worth relinquishing a technological monopoly.” “That’s true,” Marasi said, stepping up... |
rich indeed.” Jordis regarded them, then folded her arms, facing Waxillium directly. “It is still unpleasant.” Jordis was much shorter, but she managed to loom pretty well herself. In fact, Marasi got the distinct impression that the woman wanted to shout at them, attack in a rage, seek retribution for what had been do... |
they would know. They turned together without a word, seeking the skimmer. Jordis would want to load it on the ship, but first there was a corpse Wax needed to see. He didn’t blame Wayne for what he’d done to Telsin. Yes, taking her to Elendel for justice—and interrogation—would have been better. And yes, he found that... |
they’d left the mountains. They’d stopped at a town to telegraph ahead at Wax’s insistence, then waited until the next night to fly the rest of the way. He had had no intention of bringing a massive flying warship anywhere near the city without at least giving warning first. Jordis had been amenable, once he’d promised... |
life back here, away from her native habitat of the frozen, icy, desolate wastes up—” “Wayne,” Wax interrupted, soft but firm. “Hum?” “Enough.” “I was just—” “Enough.” Wayne stopped with his mouth open, then licked his lips and nodded. “Right, then. See you up above in a few, mate?” “We’ll be right along.” Wayne scampe... |
arm, grinning at the sight. This airship technology was new, but not many years had passed since he’d seen his first motorcar on the road. Marasi had been directing Captain Jordis through the city. Wax couldn’t read anything in the captain’s posture, or those of her crew. Were they impressed by the size of the city and... |
visit this city.” “So long as you bring some more choc,” Marasi said, “you can visit any time you like.” Wax smiled, and then the five of them relinquished their weight medallion metalminds to the captain, a formality they’d been instructed was customary. Jordis had already presented Wax with one of each, translation a... |
lazily, keeping the ship in place. Likely done that way on purpose, he thought of the landing, as a message. The crew wants to remind us that while we might get this technology soon, we’ll still be many years behind them in its use. “I think we’ll be fine,” Wax said to Aradel. “If the outer cities had thoughts about at... |
to Wax, curious. “I was wondering, Steris,” Wax said, “if you’d be willing to be my bride.” “I’ve already agreed—” “Yes, but last time I asked with an expectation of a contract,” Wax said. “It was the lord of a house asking a woman of means for a union. Well, that request stands, and thank you. But I’m asking again. It... |
peacefully untangled. Marasi left that to politicians. She cut through the jingoism, the rhetoric, and turned her attention to something else. Stories among the men of something unusual, beyond the rumors of airships and new Allomantic metals. She held up one sheet covered in notes. Half mentions, admissions made with ... |
pace will no longer require the Set to have its full hierarchy.” “But you need us!” Suit said. “To rule, to manage civilization on—” “No longer. Recent advances have made civilization here too dangerous. Allowing it to continue risks further advances we cannot control, and so we have decided to remove life on this sphe... |
The coin he’d been given by the beggar, shining in the faint starlight. Drewton must have found it in his pocket. Wax reached out, hesitated a moment, and then slipped it from the table before stepping out into the mist. Could it be? he wondered, holding up the coin. Two different metals. One was silvery. Could that be... |
made by scraping the skin time and time again. The haunting word he’d spoken echoed in Wax’s mind. “Survive.” POSTSCRIPT Marasi, Wax, and Wayne will return in The Lost Metal, the epic finale of Mistborn: Era Two. I plan to release this after Oathbringer, the third volume of the Stormlight Archive, which I’m hard at wor... |
later time, eliminating or reducing the need to breathe using the lungs while tapping the metalmind. They can also highly oxygenate their blood. CHROMIUM: Leecher Mistings who burn chromium while touching another Allomancer will wipe that Allomancer’s metal reserves. Spinner Ferrings can store fortune in a chromium met... |
Push on nearby sources of metal. Pushes must be directly away from the Coinshot’s center of gravity. Steelrunner Ferrings can store physical speed in a steel metalmind, slowing them while actively storing, and can tap it at a later time to increase their speed. TIN: Tineye Mistings who burn tin increase the sensitivity... |
time. Invest that metal on one day, withdraw the power on another day. It is a well-rounded art, with some feelers in the Physical, some in the Cognitive, and even some in the Spiritual. The last powers are under heavy experimentation by the Terris community, and aren’t spoken of to outsiders. It should be noted that t... |
of Radiance THE MISTBORN SAGA The Original Trilogy Mistborn The Well of Ascension The Hero of Ages The Wax and Wayne Series The Alloy of Law Shadows of Self The Bands of Mourning Warbreaker Elantris The Rithmatist ALCATRAZ VS. THE EVIL LIBRARIANS Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians* The Scrivener’s Bones* The Knights of C... |
it on one of your personal devices. Copyright infringement is against the law. If you believe the copy of this e-book you are reading infringes on the author’s copyright, please notify the publisher at: us.macmillanusa.com/piracy. FOR BEN OLSEN Who keeps putting up with a bunch of crazy writers as friends, And finds ti... |
I am” Olsen, Lyndsey Luther, Samuel Lund, Bao Pham, Aubree Pham, Megan Kanne, Jory Phillips, Trae Cooper, Christi Jacobsen, Eric Lake, and Isaac Stewarϯ. (For those wondering, Ben was a founding member of my original writing group with Dan Wells and Peter Ahlstrom. A computer person by trade, and the only one of us in ... |
his attention on her and blinked a few times, then glanced away, a demure smile on her lips. “He’ll tell on us,” Kwashim said, drawing his attention away from the other girl. “You know he will.” “I won’t,” Waxillium snapped. Kwashim gave Waxillium a glare. “You might miss evening class. Who’ll answer all the questions?... |
if each word required separate consideration. “Why should you care if we leave? Look, you’re shaking. What are you afraid of? You lived most of your life out there.” You’re an outsider, they said. Why was his sister always able to worm her way into any group? Why did he always have to stand on the outside? “I’m not sha... |
“Sneaking out is hardly even an infraction. Didn’t you live out here for fourteen years?” Rusts. “I need to go,” he said, turning back to run toward the forest. Idashwy stood in place as he left her. Waxillium entered the woods, sprinting for the Synod Lodge. You know she’s going to think you’re a coward now, part of h... |
snap. Waxillium squinted to see, but the constable was covering the object with his hand. “Do you know much about arson, Elder?” the constable asked softly. “It’s often what we call a companion crime. You find it used to cover a burglary, to perpetrate fraud, or as an act of initial aggression. In a case like this, the... |
of a misguided youth who spends too much time alone. I’ve asked some of the others to befriend him. He will do penance for his crime, in our way. Would you rather see him rot in prison?” Waxillium hesitated, then sighed, dropping into the chair before his grandmother’s desk. “I want to find out what is right,” he whisp... |
perfect in this quiet world. Why did Waxillium sometimes feel like he was dragging dirt in solely by being here? That they were all part of one big white canvas, and he a smudge at the bottom? “You preserve us,” Tellingdwar said, “and so we will be yours.” A bullet, Waxillium thought, the bit of metal still clenched in... |
wardrobe. His old clothing hung there. Rain began to patter against his window as he threw on some trousers and a buttoning shirt, which he found more comfortable than those rusting robes. He trimmed his lamp and sat back on his cot, opening a book for some evening reading. Outside, the sky rumbled like an empty stomac... |
Storage hall. An old dormitory, now unoccupied, where the Terris kept extra furniture and rugs. That would be a perfect target for arson, right? Plenty of stuff inside to burn, and nobody would expect it in this rain. But Grandmother spoke to him, Waxillium thought, scrambling through the rain, feet cold as he kicked u... |
him, then closed the door with a click. “Oh, hell,” Waxillium said, turning, wide-eyed. “Forch, what is wrong with you?” “Don’t know,” the young man said softly. “I’ve just got to see what’s inside. You know?” “You went with the girls,” Waxillium said, “so you’d have an alibi. If your room is found empty, you’ll say yo... |
metalminds were infamously difficult to affect with Allomancy. His Push wasn’t strong enough. Forch shoved Waxillium out the open window, dangling him by his neck. Rain washed over Waxillium, and he struggled for breath. “Please … Forch…” Forch dropped him. Waxillium fell with the rain. Three stories down, through the ... |
who cried out, Pushing against it to stop it from smashing him. He wasn’t strong enough. Forch continued to Push, and Waxillium had so little steel. The bar slipped forward in the air, pressing against Waxillium’s chest, pushing him against the wall. Time froze. One bullet hanging just before Forch, their main fight ov... |
shot after shot, despairing. He emptied one pistol, then a second, then shouldered his rifle and fired as quickly as he could cock it. How had they gotten here? Rusts, how had this happened? It wasn’t supposed to have gone like this. “It’s useless!” one of the lads cried. “He’s gonna kill us all, Migs!” “Why’re you jus... |
lawman, Waxillium Ladrian, stopped in the doorway. “In my defense, it wasn’t my idea.” He nodded one more time to the assembled constables and gang members, then strode out into the mists. PART ONE 1 Waxillium Ladrian hurried down the steps outside the bar-turned-hideout, passing constables in brown who bustled this wa... |
his attention. Coinshot couriers weren’t an uncommon sight in Elendel, and men soaring through the air were rarely a point of interest. A few more leaps took him over a series of warehouses in huddled rows. Wax thrilled in each jump. It was amazing how this could still feel so wonderful to him. The breeze in his face, ... |
his side. “And?” “I didn’t get killed,” he said, “so there’s that.” She glanced at the clock. “You’re late,” she said, “but not very late.” “I’m … sorry?” She’d insisted he go on the raid. She’d planned for it, in fact. Such was life with Steris. “I’m sure you did your best,” Steris said, taking his arm. She was warm, ... |
did up his buttons and Drewton took his shirt off the hanger nearby. Steris turned around immediately upon hearing the sound, arms still folded, and didn’t miss a beat—refusing to acknowledge that she’d been embarrassed. “I’m glad I had copies made.” “You made copies of our wedding pendants?” “Yes.” She chewed her lip ... |
so out of duty to his house. Now, he felt his emotions shifting. The way she’d been there for him these last months as he’d grieved … The way she looked at him right now … Rust and Ruin. He was actually fond of Steris. It wasn’t love, but he doubted he would love again. This would do. “No, Steris,” he said. “I would no... |
arms. Bastards. “Was that really one of the Faceless Immortals?” Steris said, looking over her shoulder. “Yes, and for obvious reasons I want nothing to do with them.” “Peace,” she said, holding his arm. “Do you need a moment?” “No.” “You’re sure?” Wax stopped in place. She waited, and he breathed in and out, banishing... |
trapped, and he had to be strong. He set his jaw and stepped with Steris onto the dais, where the priest stood between two stands topped with crystal vases of Marewill flowers. The ceremony was drawn from ancient Larsta beliefs, from Harmony’s Beliefs Reborn, a volume in the Words of Founding. The priest spoke the word... |
her body, strands of hair that had escaped from her wedding braids sticking to the sides of her face. She sat with arms crossed on her knees, staring at the floor. Wax sat down next to her. “So, next time a flood is dumped on our heads, I’ll try to remember that jumping upward is a bad idea.” He pulled his handkerchief... |
She eyed him. “You’re still willing to move forward?” “Of course.” As long as it didn’t have to be today. “I assume you have a backup dress?” “Two,” she admitted, letting him help her to her feet. “And I did reserve another date for a wedding two months from now. Different church—in case this one exploded.” He grunted.... |
cooks stopped in place, looking at him with shocked expressions. “Out with you!” he said to them in the chef’s voice. “I must have time to prepare! Shoo, shoo, go!” They scampered away, leaving him grinning. “You do realize the wedding breakfast is canceled,” Marasi said, leaning back against a table. “Sure do.” “So wh... |
joy and runnin’ around the street pickin’ flowers and stuff. He’s not marrying her. Not yet, anyway. You still got a chance.” “I don’t want a chance, Wayne. He’s made his decision.” “Now, what kinda talk is that?” he demanded. “You’ve given up? Is that how the Ascendant Warrior was? Huh?” “No, in fact,” Marasi said. “S... |
“Rusted nuts! You can do that?” “Certainly.” “Huh. You think … I should … you know … Ranette…” “Wayne, if ever someone should have taken a hint, it was you. Yes. Move on. Really.” “Oh, I took the hint,” he said, taking a swig of sherry. “Just can’t remember which jacket I left it in.” He looked down at the jug. “You su... |
at the races. Wax sighed, climbing the steps to the mansion. It was one of the finest in the city—luxurious with carved stonework and deep hardwood, with tasteful marble accents. That didn’t stop it from being a prison. It was just a very nice one. Wax didn’t enter. Instead, he stood on the steps for a while before tur... |
ahead. “Wayne.” He eyed the kandra, then sighed and slipped his gun into its holster. “Which one are you? TenSoon, is that you?” “Me?” the kandra asked, laughing. “TenSoon? What, do you hear me panting?” He chuckled, gesturing for Wax to enter his own study, as if he were doing Wax some grand courtesy. “I am VenDell, o... |
a drink.” He walked toward the bar at the back of the room. Marasi eyed him, and as he passed, she muttered, “Will you get me one too? Because this is all making me go a little crazy.” He smiled, digging out some single-malt whiskey, pouring for himself and for Marasi. VenDell disappeared out the door, but returned a f... |
so deep in his sorrows that by the time he’d started to recover, they’d already been taken. “No,” VenDell said. “And I have no update on the spikes, if that’s what you’re wondering. But this task I have for you, Miss Colms, might provide insight. Suffice it to say, we’re worried about the possible intrusion of another ... |
rare—and it is only in the last few decades that we’ve had access to enough of these metals to begin experimenting. Rebuilding society has been a … wearisome process.” “You were alive before,” Marasi said. “In the days of the Ascendant Warrior.” VenDell turned, raising his eyebrows. “Indeed, though I never met her. Onl... |
can use anyone’s metalminds is intriguing, but not particularly life-changing. Our society is strewn with individuals who have extraordinary abilities—this would simply be one more variety. No, what interests me is the opposite, Miss Colms. What if a Feruchemist were to divest himself of all Identity, then fill another... |
it,” MeLaan said. “That’s not a particularly fun thing to know—that people had to be murdered in order to bring you to sapience.” “Creating new spikes is a horrid practice,” VenDell agreed. “We have no intentions of doing such a thing to experiment with Identity. Instead, we’re waiting. A Full Feruchemist is bound to b... |
the Survivor, the Ascendant Warrior, and Lord Harmony Himself. Harmony’s Ascension granted Him a precise and in-depth knowledge of the Metallic Arts. It stands to reason that the Lord Ruler gained the same information. He understood Identity as a Feruchemical ability, and knew the hidden metals. Indeed, he gave aluminu... |
Not bracers for a Ferring like Wax, but bracers for a Full Feruchemist. Only a mural, yes. But it was compelling. “ReLuur believed in the Bands,” VenDell said. “He claims to have seen them, though his camera bore no image of the actual relics. I’m inclined to trust his words.” VenDell showed another image, of a differe... |
why. He thought the question was an excellent one. “You are misunderstanding the nature of these spikes,” VenDell all but sputtered. “First, we do not have kandra Blessings ‘lying around.’ The earrings you mention are crafted from old Inquisitor spikes, and have barely any potency to them. One might have been good enou... |
on the wall flickered to a shot of a city with grand waterfalls. New Seran? He’d never been there. The streets were overgrown with foliage, and people promenaded about in clothing of striped brown suits and soft white dresses. “Ah, I forgot,” VenDell said. “There was one other image in ReLuur’s belongings. We discovere... |
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