Page 210 of The Well of Ascension

Vin paused. If Straff had attacked at that moment, it would have reinforced the impression that he had sent the assassins in the first place.

“Elend and Penrod were supposed to die,” Zane said. “With the Assembly in chaos, Cett could have taken charge. He could have led his forces—along with your own—against Straff’s attacking army. He would have become the savior who protected Luthadel against the tyranny of an invader….”

Vin stood quietly. Just because Zane said it didn’t mean it was true. Yet, her investigations whispered that Demoux was the traitor.

She’d recognized the assassin at the assembly, and hehadbeen from Cett’s retinue, so she knew that Zane was telling the truth about at least one thing. Plus, Cett had precedent for sending Allomancer assassins: he had sent the ones months ago, when Vin had used the last of her atium. Zane had saved her life during that fight.

She clenched her fists, frustration biting at her chest.If he’s right, then Demoux is dead, and an enemy kandra has been in the palace, spending his days just steps away from Elend. Even if Zane lies, we still have a tyrant inside the city, another without. A force of koloss salivating over the people. And Elend doesn’t need me.

Because there’s nothing I can do.

“I see your frustration,” Zane whispered, stepping up beside Elend’s bed, looking down at his sleeping brother. “You keep listening to him. You want to protect him, but he won’t let you.” Zane looked up, meeting her eyes. She saw an implication in them.

Therewassomething she could do—the thing a part of her had wanted to do from the beginning. The thing she’d been trained to do.

“Cett almost killed the man you love,” Zane said. “Your Elend does as he wishes. Well, let us do asyouwish.” He looked into her eyes. “We have been someone else’s knives for too long. Let’s show Cett why he should fear us.”

Her fury, her frustration at the siege, yearned to do as Zane suggested. Yet, she wavered, her thoughts in chaos. She had killed—killed well—just a short time before, and it had terrified her. Yet…Elend could take risks—insane risks, traveling into an army of koloss on his own. It almost felt like a betrayal. She had worked so hard to protect him, straining herself, exposing herself. Then, just a few days later, he wandered alone into a camp full of monsters.

She gritted her teeth. Part of her whispered that if Elend wouldn’t be reasonable and stay out of danger, she’d just have to go and makesurethe threats against him were removed.

“Let’s go,” she whispered.

Zane nodded. “Realize this,” he said. “We can’t just assassinate him. Another warlord will take his place, and take his armies. We have to attackhard. We have to hit that army so soundly that whoever takes over for Cett is so frightened that he withdraws.”

Vin paused, looking away from him, nails biting into her own palms.

“Tell me,” he said, stepping closer to her. “What would your Kelsier tell you to do?”

The answer was simple. Kelsier would never have gotten into this situation. He had been a hard man, a man with little tolerance for any who threatened those he loved. Cett and Straff wouldn’t have lasted a single night at Luthadel without feeling Kelsier’s knife.

There was a part of her that had always been awed by his powerful, utilitarian brutality.

There are two ways to stay safe,Reen’s voice whispered to her.Either be so quiet and harmless that people ignore you, or be so dangerous that they’re terrified of you.

She met Zane’s eyes and nodded. He smiled, then moved over and jumped out the window.

“OreSeur,” she whispered once he was gone. “My atium.”

The dog paused, then padded up to her, his shoulder splitting. “Mistress…” he said slowly. “Do not do this.”

She glanced at Elend. She couldn’t protect him from everything. But she could do something.

She took the atium from OreSeur. Her hands no longer shook. She felt cold.

“Cett has threatened all that I love,” she whispered. “He will soon know that there is something in this world more deadly than his assassins. Something more powerful than his army. Something more terrifying than the Lord Ruler himself.

“And I am coming for him.”

Mist duty, they called it.

Every soldier had to take his turn, standing in the dark with a sputtering torch. Someone had to watch. Had to stare into those shifting, deceitful mists and wonder if anything was out there. Watching.

Wellen knew there was.

He knew it, but he never spoke. Soldiers laughed at such superstitions. They had to go out in the mists. They were used to it. They knew better than to fear it.

Supposedly.

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