The Hero of Ages

They would wait for Penrod to regain his strength, then try again to remove the spike. Again, it would threaten Penrod's life. They'd have to leave it. And, with Ruin now able to touch his mind-not control him, just nudge things in certain directions-Penrod would soon forget about the spike. The discomfort would fade, and with the spike under his clothing, no one would find it irregular.

And then he would be Ruin's as surely as any Inquisitor. Marsh smiled, let go of the outcropping, and dropped to the dark streets below.

For all that it disgusts me, I cannot help but be impressed by Hemalurgy as an art. In Allomancy and Feruchemy, skill and subtlety come through the application of one's powers. The best Allomancer might not be the most powerful, but instead the one who can best manipulate the Pushes and Pulls of metals. The best Feruchemist is the one who is most capable of sorting the information in his copperminds, or best able to manipulate his weight with iron.

The art that is unique to Hemalurgy, however, is the knowledge of where to place the spikes.

43

Vin landed with a hushed rustle of cloth. She crouched in the night, holding up her dress to keep it from brushing the ashen rooftop, then peered into the mists.

Elend dropped beside her, then fell into a crouch, asking no questions. She smiled, noting that his instincts were getting better. He watched the mists too, though he obviously didn't know what he was looking for.

'He's following us,' Vin whispered.

'Yomen's Mistborn?' Elend asked.

Vin nodded.

'Where?' he asked.

'Three houses back,' Vin said.

Elend squinted, and she felt one of his Allomantic pulses suddenly increase in speed. He was flaring tin.

'That lump on the right side?' Elend asked.

'Close enough,' Vin said.

'So. .'

'So, he knows I've spotted him,' Vin said. 'Otherwise, I wouldn't have stopped. Right now, we're studying one another.'

Elend reached to his belt, slipping out an obsidian knife.

'He won't attack,' Vin said.

'How do you know?'

'Because,' Vin said. 'When he intends to kill us, he'll try to do it when you and I aren't together-or when we're sleeping.'

That seemed to make Elend even more nervous. 'Is that why you've been staying up all night lately?'

Vin nodded. Forcing Elend to sleep alone was a small price to pay for keeping him safe. Is it you back there following us, Yomen? she wondered. On the night of your own party? That would be quite the feat. It didn't seem likely; but still, Vin was suspicious. She had a habit of suspecting everyone of being Mistborn. She still thought it was healthy, even if she had been wrong more often than not.

'Come on,' she said, rising. 'Once we get into the party, we shouldn't have to worry about him.'

Elend nodded, and the two continued along their path to the Canton of Resource.

The plan is simple, Elend had said just hours before. I'll confront Yomen, and the nobility won't be able to help gathering around to gawk. At that point, you sneak away and see if you can find your way to the storage chamber.

It really was a simple plan-the best ones usually were. If Elend confronted Yomen, it would keep the attention of the guards on him, hopefully letting Vin slip out. She'd have to move quickly and quietly, and would probably have to eliminate some guards-all without raising an alarm. Yet, this appeared to be the only way in. Not only was Yomen's fortress-like building well lit and extremely well guarded, but his Mistborn was good. The man had detected her every other time she'd tried to sneak in-always remaining at a distance, his mere presence warning her that he could raise the alarm in a heartbeat.

Their best chance was the ball. Yomen's defenses, and his Mistborn, would be focused on their master, keeping him safe.

They landed in the courtyard, causing carriages to stop and guards to turn in shock. Vin glanced to Elend in the misty darkness. 'Elend,' she said quietly, 'I need you to promise me something.'

He frowned. 'What?'

'Eventually, I'm going to get spotted,' Vin said. 'I'll sneak as best I can, but I doubt we'll get through this without creating a disturbance. When it hits, I want you to get out.'

'Vin, I can't do that. I have to-'

'No,' Vin said sharply. 'Elend, you don't have to help me. You can't help me. I love you, but you're just not as good at this as I am. I can take care of myself, but I need to know that I won't have to take care of you, too. If anything goes wrong-or, if things go right, but the building goes on alert-I want you to get out. I'll meet you at the camp.'

'And if you get into trouble?' Elend said.

Vin smiled. 'Trust me.'

He paused, then nodded. Trusting her was one thing he could obviously do-something he'd always done.

The two strode forward. It felt very strange to be attending a ball at a Ministry building. Vin was accustomed to stained glass and ornamentation, but Canton offices were generally austere-and this one was no exception. It was only a single story tall, and it had sharp, flat walls with very small windows. No limelights illuminated the outside, and while a couple of large tapestry banners fluttered against the stonework, the only indication that this night was special was the cluster of carriages and nobility in the courtyard. The soldiers in the area had noted Vin and Elend, but made no move to engage-or even slow-them.

Those watching-both nobility and soldiers-were interested, but few of them looked surprised. Vin and Elend were expected. Vin's hunch about that was confirmed when she moved up the steps, and nobody moved to intercept them. The guards at the door watched suspiciously, but let her and Elend pass.

Inside, she found a long entry hall, lit by lamps. The flow of people turned left, so Vin and Elend followed, twisting through a few labyrinthine corridors until they approached a larger meeting hall.

'Not exactly the most impressive place for a ball, eh?' Elend said as they waited their turn to be announced.

Vin nodded. Most noble keeps had exterior entrances directly into their ballroom. The room ahead-from what she could see of it-had been adapted from a standard Ministry meeting room. Rivets covered the floor where benches had once been, and there was a stage on the far side of the room, where obligators had probably once stood to give instruction to their subordinates. This was where Yomen's table had been set up.

It was too small to be a truly practical ballroom. The people inside weren't cramped, exactly, but neither did they have the space the nobility preferred for forming separate little groups where they could gossip.

'Looks like there are other party rooms,' Elend said, nodding to several corridors leading from the main 'ballroom.' People were trailing in and out of them.

'Places for people to go if they feel too crowded,' Vin said. 'This is going to be a tough place to escape, Elend. Don't let yourself get cornered. Looks like an exit over there to the left.'

Elend followed her gaze as they walked into the main room. Flickering torchlight and trails of mist indicated a courtyard or atrium. 'I'll stay close to it,' he said. 'And avoid going to any of the smaller side rooms.'

'Good,' Vin said. She also noted something else-twice during the trip through the corridors to the ballroom, she'd seen stairwells leading down. That implied a fairly large basement, something uncommon back in Luthadel. The Canton building goes down, rather than up, she decided. It made sense, assuming