Page 21 (1/2)

To Spook, however, they were barely an obstruction anymore He'd always been told not to flare his tin too much; he'd been warned not to becos to his body, people said And, the truth was, they were right He had flared his tin nonstop for a year straight--never letting up, keeping his body in a constant state of super-heightened senses--and it had changed hierous

But he needed them, for the people of Urteau needed him

Stars blazed in the sky above hih thethe last year--becoht the world itself was changing Then he had realized that it was just his perception So, he had permanently enhanced his senses to a point far beyond what other Allomancers could attain

He'd alun as a reaction to Clubs's death He still felt terrible about the way he'd escaped Luthadel, leaving his uncle to die During those first feeeks, Spook had flared hisaround hih it was painful Perhaps because it was painful

But then he'd started to change, and that had worried him But, the creays talked about how hard Vin pushed herself She rarely slept, using pewter to keep herself awake and alert Spook didn't kno that worked--he was no Mistborn, and could only burn one ive hi to need every advantage they could get

The starlight was like daylight to hi the actual day, he had to wear a cloth tied across his eyes to protect the His skin had becoround--each crack, each flake of stone--felt like a knife jabbing hi air see, and he wore a thick cloak

However, he had concluded that these nuisances were small prices to pay for the opportunity to becomewhatever it was he had become As heand turning in their beds, even through their walls He could sense a footstep froht as no other human ever had

Perhaps he'd find a way to become useful to the others Always before, he'd been the least important member of the crew The dismissible boy who ran errands or kept watch while the others ht to give him such simple duties Because of his street dialect, he'd been difficult to understand, and while all the other members of the crew had been hand-picked by Kelsier, Spook had joined by default since he was Clubs's nephew

Spook sighed, shoving his hands in his trouser pockets as he walked down the too-bright street He could feel each and every thread in the fabric

Dangerous things were happening, he knew that: the way the round shook as if it were a sleepinga terrible dream Spook worried he wouldn't be of much help in the critical days to come A little over a year before, his uncle had died after Spook fled the city Spook had run out of fear, but also out of a knowledge of his own ie

He didn't want to be in that position again He wanted to be able to help, so while the world ended around hiather as overnment there, and so Spook intended to do his best If thathis body beyond as safe, so be it

He approached a large intersection He looked both ways down the intersecting streets--the view clear as day to his eyes I ht But I' Kelsier would be proud of

Maybe this time I can help

He saw no motion in either direction, so he slipped onto the street andquietly along a street that seehtly lit Yet, he knew that to others it would be dark, with only starlight to see by, theas ever Tin helped an Alloly sensitive eyes were even better at this He brushed through thethe before he saw it How could so of armor, not feel that clatter of feet on the cobblestones? He froze, standing with his back to the earthen wall bordering the street, watching for the patrol

They bore a torch--to Spook's enhanced eyes, it looked like a blazing beacon of near-blinding brilliance The torch ht wouldn't help--just the reverse The light reflected off the ht that ruined their night vision