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Straff pointed at Elend as soldiers rushed in Elend didn't cringe He'd grown up with this man, been raised by him, been tortured by him And, despite it all, Elend had never spoken his e boy, but he'd never spoken the truth

It felt good It felt right

Perhaps playing the weak hand was a s

And suddenly Elend knehat he had to do He s Straff in the eyes

"Kill me, Father," he said, "and you'll die, too"

"Kill me, Father," Elend said, "and you'll die, too"

Vin paused She stood outside the tent, in the darkness of early night She'd been standing with Straff's soldiers, but they'd rushed in at his command She'd moved into the darkness, and now stood on the north side of the tent, watching the shadowed forms move within

She'd been about to burst in Elend hadn't been doing very well--not that he was a bad negotiator He was just too honest by nature It wasn't difficult to tell when he was bluffing, especially if you knew him well

But, this new procla to be clever, nor was it an angry outburst like the one he'd made moments before Suddenly, he seegers out, tense in the ive Elend just a few hed at Elend's threat

"You are a fool, Father," Elend said "You think I caly deal with one such as you? No You know me better than that You know that I'd never submit to you"

"Then why?" Straff asked

She could alet near you, Fatherand to bring my Mistborn to the very heart of your cahed "You threaten reat Mistborn of Luthadel I've been hearing of, then I'm sorely disappointed"

"That's because she wants you to feel that way," Elend said "Think, Father You were suspicious, and the girl confirood as the rumors say--and I know you've heard the rumors--then hoould you have spotted her touch on your e you, and you called her on it Then, you didn't feel the touch anymore, so you assuan to feel confident Comfortable You dismissed Vin as a threat--but would any rational man dismiss a Mistborn, no matter how small or quiet? In fact, you'd think that the small, quiet ones would be the assassins you'd want to pay the ht She reached out, Rioting Straff's eer He gasped in sudden shock Take the clue, Elend

"Fear," Elend said

She Soothed away Straff's anger and exchanged it for fear

"Passion"

She complied

"Cal away Inside the tent, she saw Straff's shadow standing stiffly An Allo--and usually, strong Pushes or Pulls on an eet that so In this case, however, Vin wanted Straff to know for certain she atching

She s her tin Then she burned duralumin and Soothed Straff's e away all capacity for feeling within him His shadow stuone athe black patterns on the canvas

"She's powerful, Father," Elend said "She's more powerful than any Allomancer you've known She killed the Lord Ruler She was trained by the Survivor of Hathsin And if you kill hted hiain

A footstep sounded Vin spun, ducking, raising her dagger

A faht mists "Why is it I can never sneak up on you?" Zane asked quietly

Vin shrugged and turned back to the tent--but moved herself so she could keep an eye on Zane, too He walked over and crouched beside her, watching the shadows

"That's hardly a useful threat," Straff finally said froet toabout your interest in Luthadel However, you're also wrong aboutabout s safety to one," Straff said

"I think ainst him," Elend said "After all, he has the smaller army"

"This is idiocy!" Straff snapped He didn't, however, order his soldiers forward any farther

"Kill enerals Your captains Even your obligators She has orders to slaughter you all"

Zane took a step closer to Vin, his feet crunching slightly on the packed-doeeds that made up the floor of the ca your opponent is, he can't attack if you've got a knife at his throat"

Zane leaned even closer, and Vin looked up at him, their faces just inches from each other He shook his head in the soft mists "But tell me--why is it that people like you and me always have to be the knives?"

Inside the tent, Straff was growing concerned "No one is that powerful, boy," he said, "not even a Mistborn She et to me I have my own Mistborn"

"Oh?" Elend said "And why hasn't he killed her? Because he's afraid to attack? If you kill me, Father--if you even in the slaughter Men will die like prisoners before the fountains on a day of execution"

"I thought you said he was above this kind of thing," Zane whispered "You claimed you weren't his tool You said he wouldn't use you as an assassin"

Vin shuffled unco, Zane," she said "He'd never actually do anything like that"