Mistborn Trilogy - Brandon Sanderson [826]
Then, Vin spun and walked quickly back to Slowswift, trying to look as if she’d just remembered something. Her tails, intent on looking natural, had trouble following. They hesitated, and Vin gained just a few short breaths of freedom.
She leaned down to Slowswift as she passed. “I need two men,” she said. “Ones you trust against Yomen. Have them meet me in a part of the party that is more secluded, a place where people can sit and chat.”
“The patio,” Slowswift said. “Down the left corridor, then outside.”
“Good,” Vin said. “Tell your men to go there, but then wait until I approach them. Also, please send a messenger to Elend. Tell him I need another half hour.”
Slowswift nodded to the cryptic comment, and Vin smiled as her shadows trailed closer. “I hope you feel better soon,” she said, putting on a fond smile.
“Thank you, my dear,” Slowswift said, coughing slightly.
Vin trailed away again. She slowly made her way in the direction Slowswift had indicated, the exit she’d picked out earlier. Sure enough, a few moments later she passed into mist. The mist vanishes inside buildings, eventually, Vin thought. Everyone always assumes it has something to do with heat, or perhaps the lack of airflow. . . .
In a few seconds, she found herself standing on a lantern-lit garden patio. Though tables had been set up for people to relax, the patio was sparsely populated. Servants wouldn’t go out in the mists, and most nobility—though they didn’t like to admit it—found the mists disconcerting. Vin wandered over to an ornate metal railing, then leaned against it, looking up at the sky, feeling the mists around her and idly fingering her earring.
Soon, her two shadows appeared, chatting quietly, and Vin’s tin let her hear that they were talking about how stuffy the other room had been. Vin smiled, maintaining her posture as the two women took chairs a distance away, continuing to chat. After that, two young men wandered in and sat down at another table. They weren’t as natural about the process as the women, but Vin hoped they weren’t suspicious enough to draw attention.
Then, she waited.
Life as a thief—a life spent preparing for jobs, watching in spy holes, and carefully choosing just the right opportunity to pick a pocket—had taught her patience. It was one urchin attribute she had never lost. She stood, staring at the sky, giving no indication at all that she intended to leave. Now, she simply had to wait for the distraction.
You shouldn’t have relied on him for the distraction, Reen whispered in her mind. He’ll fail. Never let your life depend on the competence of someone whose life isn’t also on the line.
It had been one of Reen’s favorite sayings. She didn’t think of him very often, anymore—or, really, anyone from her old life. That life had been one of pain and sorrow. A brother who beat her to keep her safe, a crazy mother who had inexplicably slaughtered Vin’s baby sister.
However, that life was only a faint echo, now. She smiled to herself, amused at how far she had come. Reen might have called her a fool, but she trusted Elend—trusted him to succeed, trusted him with her life. That was something she could never have done during her early years.
After about ten minutes, someone came out from the party and wandered over to the pair of women. He spoke with them just briefly, then returned to the party. Another man came twenty minutes after that, doing the same thing. Hopefully, the women were passing on the information Vin wished: that Vin had apparently decided to spend an indeterminate amount of time outside, staring at the mists. Those inside wouldn’t expect her to return anytime soon.
A few moments