The Hero of Ages

simple reason. Yet, it had been given to her by her mother. A woman Vin had never known. A woman who had tried to kill her.

Vin snatched the earring. Yomen watched curiously as she stuck it in her ear. He seemed. . wary. As if waiting for something.

If I really did have some trick planned, she thought, he'd be dead in an instant. How can he stand there so calmly? Why give me my earring? Even if it isn't made of useful metals, I might find a way to use it against him.

Her instincts told her he was trying an old street ploy-kind of like throwing your enemy a dagger to make him attack. Yomen wanted to spring any traps she was planning. It seemed a silly move. How could he possibly hope to best a Mistborn?

Unless he himself is a Mistborn, Vin thought. He feels he can beat me.

He has atium, and is ready to burn it when I try something.

Vin did nothing; made no attack. She wasn't certain if her instincts about Yomen were right, but that didn't really matter. She couldn't attack, for the earring had no hidden secret. The truth was, she simply wanted it back because it felt comfortable in her ear. She was accustomed to wearing it.

'Interesting,' Yomen said. 'Regardless, you are about to discover one of the reasons I have left you without a gag. .' With that, he raised a hand toward the door. He clasped his hands behind his back as a servant opened the door, showing in an unarmed soldier in the white and brown of Elend's livery.

You should kill him, Ruin whispered in her mind. All of them.

'Lady Venture,' Yomen said without looking at her. 'I must ask you not to speak to this man except when I indicate, and answer only as I request. Otherwise, he will have to be executed, and a fresh messenger sent for from your army.'

The soldier paled. Vin just frowned, eyeing the obligator king. Yomen was obviously a calm man, and he wanted to appear harsh. How much of it was an act?

'You can see that she is alive, as promised,' Yomen said to the soldier.

'How do we know this is not a kandra in disguise?' the soldier asked.

'You can ask your question,' Yomen said.

'Lady Venture,' the soldier said, 'what did you have for dinner the night before you went to the party inside the city?'

It was a good question to ask. A kandra would have interrogated her about important moments-such as her first meeting with Elend. Something like a meal, however, was so random that no kandra would have thought to ask about it. Now, if Vin could remember. .

She looked at Yomen. He nodded-she could answer. 'Eggs,' she said. 'Fresh eggs that I bought in the city, during one of my spying trips.'

The man nodded.

'You have your answer, soldier,' Yomen said. 'Report to your king that his wife is still alive.'

The soldier withdrew and the servants closed the door. Vin sat back on the bench, waiting for a gag.

Yomen remained where he was, looking at her.

Vin looked back. Finally, she spoke. 'How long do you think that you can keep Elend placated? If you know anything of him at all, then you will realize that he is a king first, and a man second. He will do what he needs to do, even if it means my death.'

'Eventually, perhaps,' Yomen said. 'However, for now, the stall is effective. They say that you are a blunt woman, and appreciate brevity. Therefore, I will be straightforward with you. My purpose in capturing you was not to use you as leverage against your husband.'

'Is that so,' she said flatly. 'Why did you capture me, then?'

'It is simple, Lady Venture,' Yomen said. 'I captured you so that I could execute you.'

If he expected surprise from her, she didn't give it. She just shrugged. 'Sounds like an unnecessarily formal term. Why not just cut my throat while I was drugged?'

'This city is a place of law,' Yomen said. 'We do not kill indiscriminately.'

'This is war,' Vin said. 'If you wait for 'discrimination' before you kill, you'll have a lot of unhappy soldiers.'

'Your crime is not one of war, Lady Venture.'

'Oh? And am I to know this crime, then?'

'It is the most simple of all crimes. Murder.'

Vin raised an eyebrow. Had she killed someone close to this man? Perhaps one of the noble soldiers in Cett's retinue, back a year ago when she'd assaulted Keep Hasting?

Yomen met her eyes, and she saw something in them. A loathing that he kept hidden behind the calm front. No, she hadn't killed one of his friends or relatives. She'd killed someone far more important to him.

'The Lord Ruler,' she said.

Yomen turned away again.

'You can't honestly intend to try me for that,' Vin said. 'It's ridiculous.'

'There will be no trial,' Yomen said. 'I am the authority in this city, and need no ceremony to give me direction or permission.'

Vin snorted. 'I thought you said this was a place of law.'

'And I am that law,' Yomen said calmly. 'I believe in letting a person speak for themselves before I make my decision. I will give you time to prepare your thoughts-however, the men who will be guarding you have orders to kill you if it ever looks like you are putting something unapproved into your mouth.'

Yomen glanced back at her. 'I'd be very careful while I eat or drink, if I were you. Your guards have been told to err on the side of safety, and they know that I will not punish them if they accidentally kill you.'

Vin paused, cup of water still held lightly in her fingers.

Kill him, Ruin's voice whispered. You could do it. Take a weapon from one of those soldiers, then use it on Yomen.

Vin frowned. Ruin still used Reen's voice-it was familiar, something that had always seemed a part of her. Discovering that it belonged to that thing. . it was like finding out that her reflection really belonged to someone else, and that she'd never actually seen herself.

She ignored the voice. She wasn't sure why Ruin would want her to try killing Yomen. After all, Yomen had captured her-the obligator king was working on Ruin's side. Plus, Vin doubted her ability to cause the man any harm. Chained, lacking offensive metals. . she'd be a fool to attack.

She also didn't trust Yomen's comments about keeping her alive so that she could 'speak' in her defense. He was up to something. Yet, she couldn't fathom what it might be. Why leave her alive? He was too clever a man to lack a reason.

Giving no hint of his motivations, Yomen turned away from her again, looking back out his window. 'Take her away.'

By sacrificing most of his consciousness, Preservation created Ruin's prison, breaking their deal and trying to keep Ruin from destroying what they had created. This event left their powers again nearly balanced- Ruin imprisoned, only a trace of himself capable of leaking out. Preservation reduced to a mere wisp of what he once was, barely capable of thought and action.

These two minds were, of course, independent of the raw force of their powers. Actually, I am uncertain of how thoughts and personalities came to be attached to the powers in the first place-but I believe they were not there originally. For both powers could be detached from the minds that ruled them.

55

It took elend much longer to get back from the village than it had taken to get there. For one thing, he had