Mistborn: secret history

4

Kelsier sat on the lip of the now empty Well of Ascension. The light was gone, and with it his prison. He

could leave.

He didn’t seem to be stretching away and fading. Apparently being part of Preservation’s power for a

time had expanded Kelsier’s soul, letting him linger. Though honestly, he wished he could vanish at this

moment.

Vin – glowing and radiant to his eyes – lay beside Elend Venture, clutching him and weeping as his soul

pulsed, growing weaker. Kelsier stood up, turning his back toward the sight. For all his cleverness, he’d

gone and broken the poor girl’s heart.

I must be the smartest idiot around, Kelsier thought.

“It was going to happen,” Preservation said. “I thought… Maybe…” From the corner of his eye, Kelsier

saw Fuzz approach Vin, then look down at the fallen Venture.

“I can Preserve him,” Preservation whispered.

Kelsier spun. Preservation started waving at Vin, and she stumbled to her feet. She followed the god a

few feet to something Elend had dropped, a fallen nugget of metal. Where had that come from?

The Venture boy was carrying it when he entered, Kelsier thought. That was the last bit of metal from the

other side of the room, the twin of the one the Drifter had stolen. Kelsier approached as Vin took the

nugget of metal, so tiny, and approached Elend, then put it into his mouth. She washed it down with a vial

of metal.

Soul and metal became one. Elend’s light strengthened, glowing vibrantly. Kelsier closed his eyes, feeling

a thrumming sense of peace.

“That was good work, Fuzz,” Kelsier said, opening his eyes and smiling at Preservation as the god

stepped over to him. Vin’s posture manifested incredible joy. “I’m almost ready to think you’re a

benevolent god.”

“Stabbing him was dangerous, painful,” Preservation said. “I cannot condone such recklessness. But

perhaps it was right, regardless of how I feel.”

“Ruin’s free,” Kelsier said, looking upward. “That thing has escaped.”

“Yes. Fortunately, before I died, I put a plan into motion. I can’t remember it, but I’m certain that it was

brilliant.”

“You know, I’ve said something similar myself on occasion, after a night of drinking.” Kelsier rubbed his

chin. “I’m free too.”

“Yes.”

“This is where you joke that you aren’t certain which was more dangerous to release. Me or the other

one.”

“No,” Fuzz said. “I know which is more dangerous.”

“Failing marks for effort there, I’m afraid.”

“But perhaps…” Preservation said. “Perhaps I cannot say which is more annoying.” He smiled. With his

face half melted off and his neck starting to go, it was unnerving. Like a happy bark from a crippled

puppy.

Kelsier slapped him on the shoulder. “We’ll make a solid crewmember out of you yet, Fuzz. For now, I

---

want to get the hell out of this room.”

---