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“Can I kill Telsin?”

I’m counting on you trying to. But… I’m not certain. She might be so highly Invested that you can’t. If so, Telsin will die only if Autonomy withdraws her power.

“I’m still going to want your help.”

I—

“What can youdo?”

I… I do not know. I can perhaps stun her. Briefly interrupt her Connection to Autonomy. Maybe.

“Be ready,” Wax said, raising his reloaded gun in one hand, then seized Wayne by the arm. Wayne nodded and held on. Wax Pushed off thenails in the carpet, sending them soaring up into the mists and onto the rooftop.

Wax felt better immediately, entering the mists. His fatigue washed away, his pains fading. The mist was something ancient, older than Harmony. It had seen the Ascendant Warrior and the Last Emperor stop the end of the world. It had seen the Lord Ruler rise before that, and protected—perhaps threatened—the world when it had been new.

You’ve done something to me,Wax thought at Harmony, nudging them to the side and landing on the roof.Odd things have been happening to me all day. Is it an aftereffect of holding the Bands?

No,Harmony said.It is something else. But it didn’t work as I’dhoped.

Mists wrapped around Wax as he walked across a cold rooftop to confront Telsin. Her eyes glowed bright red, painting the nearby mist bloody. It stayed away from her. The way a dog lurked outside the range of a man who had kicked it in the past.

“You’re right,” she said. “Ihaveunderestimated you.”

Wax stopped a distance away, Wayne at his side. Behind Telsin was a hulking contraption with the rocket on top. Hidden from sightlines below by the “construction” at the perimeter of the rooftop, it was bathed in floodlights. Engineers worked on it furiously, sparing him nervous glances.

“Wayne,” Wax hissed, gun trained on Telsin, “go help those engineers take a lunch break.”

“Gladly,” Wayne said, hurrying over. It didn’t take much work to get them corralled into a corner.

Wax stood there, gun on Telsin, feeling… unnerved. He’dmade it this far. He’dfound the rocket. This should be it, shouldn’t it? But what did he do now?

Don’t get blindsided again,he thought.Six years ago, she got the better of you. She must have something planned today too. Don’t fall for it.

“So,” Telsin said, her eyes glowing brighter, “here we are. Now you’re going to let me destroy Elendel.”

“Like hell I will,” Wax growled.

“What would you give up, Waxillium,” she said, “to save aplanet? How many people are you willing to sacrifice to do what needs to be done?”

She stepped closer. He cocked Vindication, thrusting it forward. Rusts.

“Autonomy likes you,” Telsin said. “She called you a masterpiece. I disagreed, but here you are, and I find myself persuaded. Harmony knows he’s growing impotent, that Discord is near, and so he created you. A sword. Who can act when he cannot.”

She stepped closer, ignoring Vindication. And why shouldn’t she? Harmony had said the gun wouldn’t do anything. Her smile as she advanced reminded him of when she’dturned on him. Of how it had felt to be betrayed by his last living kin.

That moment. Thatterriblemoment when he’drealized that by saving her, he’dnot only gotten himself shot, but potentially gotten Steris, Marasi, and Wayne killed as well.

That horrible moment lived on. Like crystallized agony deep within him. One last tie to his old life. He needed to defeat that as much as he did her.

“Do you think Harmony could do it?” Telsin asked, gesturing to the rocket. “If this were the only way to protect the people of this world? Could he sacrifice one city to save the rest? Or would indecision freeze him? Like a constable on their first day on the job.”

Rusts. She didn’t seem the least bit concerned by their arrival. Something was wrong. Something wasprofoundlywrong.

“Well,” Telsin said, “I’mstrong enough.I’llsee it done.”

Rusts, rusts,rusts.This was all wrong. A quiet conversation on a rooftop? A doomsday device apparently stopped? And yet Telsin was so rustingconfident.

You’re not merely a sword, Wax,he thought.You’re a detective. That’s the life you chose. Be the person you decided to be. Not the one you’ve been assigned to be.