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"Why the reaction, girl?" Straff asked "Oh, that's right You're skaa, aren't you--pretty dress notwithstanding? Elend is very kind; I wouldn't let you wear so like that" Or much at all, his tone implied

Vin shot Straff a look, but pulled a little closer to Elend, grabbing his ar; Straff was cruel, but only insofar as it served him He wanted to make Vin unco Elend frowned, glancing down, and caught just a hint of a sly smile on her lips

Breeze has told me that Vin is more subtle with her Alloood, but for him to pick out her touch

She let him, of course

Elend looked back at Straff, who hit one of the skaa servants on their way out "I hope none of them are relatives of yours," Straff said to Vin "They haven't been very diligent lately I ht have to execute a few"

"I'm not skaa anymore," Vin said quietly "I'hed He had already dismissed Vin as a threat He knew she was Mistborn, he erous, and yet he now assumed that she eak and inconsequential

She is good at this, Elend thought onder Servants began to bring in a feast that was i the circumstances As they waited, Straff turned to an aide "Send in Hoselle," he ordered "And tell her to be quick"

He seeht In the Lord Eood nobleh ence when in private They would dance and have quiet dinner conversation at the ball, for instance, but enjoy whores and drunkenness in the sht

"Why the beard, Father?" Elend asked "Last I knew, those weren't in fashion"

"I set the fashion now, boy," Straff said "Sit" Vin waited respectfully, Elend noticed, until Elend was seated before taking her place She ed to maintain an air of half juave a reflexive twitch, as if part of her wanted to glance away

"Now," Straff said, "tell ht it was obvious, Father," Elend said "I'm here to discuss our alliance"

Straff raised an eyebrow "Alliance? We both just agreed that your life is mine I don't see a need to ally with you"

"Perhaps," Elend said "But, there are other factors at play here I assu Cett's arrival?"

"Cett is of little concern," Straff said, turning his attention to theslabs of barely cooked beef Vin wrinkled her nose, though Elend couldn't tell if that was part of her act or not

Elend cut his steak "A e as your own is hardly of 'little' concern, Father"

Straff shrugged "He'll be of no trouble to me once I have the city walls You'll turn those over to me as part of our alliance, I assume?"

"And invite Cett to attack the city?" Elend said "Yes, together you and I could hold against hio on the defensive? Why let him weaken our fortifications, and possibly just continue this siege until both of our ar? We need to attack him, Father"

Straff snorted "You think I need your help to do so?"

"You do if you want to beat him with any measure of assured success," Elend said "We can take hiether--but never alone We need each other Let's attack, you leading your arer?" Straff asked, narrowing his eyes

"Because I want to prove so to take Luthadel froainst Cett first, it will look like I wanted to ally with you all along I'll be able to give you the city without looking like a coht inI turn the city over to you, and then becoet ant But only once Cett is dead"

Straff paused, and Elend could see that his words were having an effect Yes, he thought Think that I'er to resist you for silly reasons And, saving face is a very Venture thing to do

"No," Straff said

Elend started

"No," Straff said again, turning to histo do this, boy I'll decide when--or even if--I attack Cett"

That should have worked! Elend thought He studied Straff, trying to judge rong There was a faint hesitance about his father

I need lanced to his side, to where Vin sat, spinning sohtly in her hand Her fork She htly

Metal, Elend thought Good idea He looked over at Straff "You came for the atiuet it"

Straff leaned forward "Why haven't you spent it?"

"Nothing brings sharks faster than fresh blood, Father," Elend said "Spending large amounts of atium would only have indicated for certain that I had it--a bad idea, considering the trouble we took to squelch those rumors"

There was a sudden irl entered She wore a ball gown--red--and had her black hair pulled back into a long, flowing tail She was, perhaps, fifteen

"Hoselle," Straff said, pointing to the chair next to hi forward to sit beside Straff She was done up in makeup, and the dress was low-cut Elend had little doubt as to her relationship with Straff

Straff sirl looked a little bit like Vin--same almond face, similar dark hair, saet one just like yours--only younger and prettier More posturing

It was that moment--that smirk in Straff's eyes--which reminded Elend more than ever why he hated his father