She jumped at the exclamation. Then blushed. Then she raised her chin and nodded.
Wax looked to Steris, who was smiling. “You knew?”
“She needed help planning,” Steris said. “But the secret wasn’t mine to share.”
“I had to really decide,” Marasi said. “Had to know for myself, Wax. I need experience. I need to see if I’m any good at this sort of work. But … yes.”
Huh.
“I found I couldn’t content myself with a constable’s job,” she said, “after what I’d seen and learned. I needed to be able to change things. Actually change things.” She glanced at him. “Do you think I’m foolish? For years, in my youth, I thought maybe I was being trained to enter politics. I ran away from that, but now…”
They locked eyes. And she seemed to realize, for the first time, what she was saying. Who she was saying it to. Yes, he understood that feeling. He nodded to her, then glanced again at the quote on Wayne’s plaque. Those words he’d said, years ago now. You’re meant to be helping people.
Another figure approached, this one wearing a long black coat and hat. He stepped up beside them, inspecting the statue through spiked eyes.
“It looks good,” Death said.
“How is it,” Steris said, “you walk around without drawing attention?”
“Emotional Allomancy,” he said absently.
“You seem better,” Marasi said. “The treatment is working.”
“Thank you,” he replied. “I prefer not to taste of my own offerings. It seems I won’t have to for some time.” He turned to Wax. “Greetings, Brother.”
Wax felt at his abdomen, where he bore his spike. Though he’d been assured being called “brother” by the likes of the kandra and Death didn’t mean he was immortal, it did make him uncomfortable. He’d joined the ranks of an extremely disturbing group. The spiked.
“I’ve considered removing it,” Wax said.
“I will help if you wish,” Death said. “But not all of them can be removed. I nearly lost one once that would have ended me. Still find it amazing that I survived.”
“Perhaps it’s in the blood,” Steris said.
“Perhaps it is at that.” He hesitated. “Harmony wants me to express his regards.”
God could have spoken into Wax’s head because of the spike. But he had — by Wax’s request — vowed never to do so, unless asked. He said he wouldn’t even watch.
The spike, though, continued to perpetuate a problem. Who was Wax? Father, lawman, senator? Or was he none of the three? A part of him still worried, after all these years, that he was something else entirely. A pawn.
“Ironeyes?” Marasi asked. “Is … is Wayne really gone? Like … are we absolutely certain?”
Death smiled. “I didn’t meet his soul, Marasi. I only do that some of the time, when Saze Invests me with the power. I think he likes the idea of me living up to the stories people decided to tell about me. It’s … his way.
“Regardless, I didn’t meet Wayne as he left. Harmony did that personally. Yes, your friend is gone.” He nodded to the statue. “Remarkable likeness … It took an intervention to get Vin’s right. But this is spot-on from the first try.”
He nodded to the group of them, then handed a small note to Wax. From there, Death withdrew. Wax didn’t buy his explanation of using emotional Allomancy to remain hidden. There was something more here.
He turned over the card that Death had given him. It was from Harmony.
I’ve heard distressing things, Waxillium Ladrian, that you’ve been worrying about. I would like to promise you something. With all the essence and axi of my being, I declare this.
No one else moves you.
Your life is yours.
And you have my deepest apologies that I had a hand in teaching you otherwise.
Wax held that card for a long time. Then he tucked it into his pocket. He took Steris’s hand and looked up at the statue.
Who was he? He supposed … well, he was whoever he wanted to be. No decision had ever forced him to choose one role over others — and being one man did not prevent him from being the others as well. He kept making that mistake, but he vowed right then to stop. To listen to his wife, to his heart, and to Harmony himself.
Father, lawman, senator. He could be all three, and more.
So long as he was helping people.
THE END OF ERA TWO OF MISTBORN
ARS ARCANUM
Metals Quick Reference Chart
External metals have been italicized. Pushing metals have been bolded.
God Metals
Allomancy Alphabetical Reference
ALUMINUM: A Mistborn who burns aluminum instantly metabolizes all of their metals without giving any other effect, wiping all Allomantic reserves. Mistings who can burn aluminum are called Aluminum Gnats due to the ineffectiveness of this ability by itself. Trueself Ferrings can store their Spiritual sense of Identity in an aluminum metalmind. This is an art rarely spoken of outside of Terris communities, and even among them it is not yet well understood. Aluminum and a few of its alloys are Allomantically inert; they cannot be Pushed or Pulled and can be used to shield an individual from emotional Allomancy.
BENDALLOY: Slider Mistings burn bendalloy to compress time in a bubble around themselves, making it pass more quickly within the bubble. This causes events outside the bubble to move at a glacial pace from the point of view of the Slider. Subsumer Ferrings can store nutrition and calories in a bendalloy metalmind; they can eat large amounts of food during active storage without feeling full or gaining weight, and then can go without the need to eat while tapping the metalmind. A separate bendalloy metalmind can be used to similarly regulate fluid intake.
BRASS: Soother Mistings burn brass to Soothe (dampen) the emotions of nearby individuals. This can be directed at a single individual or across a general area, and the Soother can focus on specific emotions. Firesoul Ferrings can store warmth in a brass metalmind, cooling themselves off while actively storing. They can tap the metalmind at a later time to warm themselves.
BRONZE: Seeker Mistings burn bronze to “hear” pulses given off by other Allomancers who are burning metals. Different metals produce different pulses. Sentry Ferrings can store wakefulness in a bronze metalmind, making themselves drowsy while actively storing. They can tap the metalmind at a later time to reduce drowsiness or to heighten their awareness.
CADMIUM: Pulser Mistings burn cadmium to stretch time in a bubble around themselves, making it pass more slowly inside the bubble. This causes events outside the bubble to move at blurring speed from the point of view of the Pulser. Gasper Ferrings can store breath inside a cadmium metalmind; during active storage they must hyperventilate in order for their bodies to get enough air. The breath can be retrieved at a later time, eliminating or reducing the need to breathe using the lungs while tapping the metalmind. They can also highly oxygenate their blood.
CHROMIUM: Leecher Mistings who burn chromium while touching another Allomancer will wipe that Allomancer’s metal reserves. Spinner Ferrings can store Fortune in a chromium metalmind, making themselves unlucky during active storage, and can tap it at a later time to increase their luck.