Valeia Bramdiel cursed her bad luck. She slammed her fist into the cell wall with a growl. The pain of the lacrima cutting into her knuckles taunted her and reminded her of her days spent training in the Tower of Heaven. The blood flowed down her fingers unchecked.

The heavy metal door of the cell swung inward, forcing her to step back to avoid being hit. She clenched her fists and stood by the straw mat, ready to fight. Familiar brown eyes met her defiant gaze, and Jellal stepped into the cell.

He stood just out of physical reach. The man who had made her life a living hell for so many years was standing right in front of her, but Valeia didn't move. Couldn't move. Seeing him again brought back all the memories she'd spent so much time locking away while on the run.

Jellal's cold gaze swept over her, and his lips twisted into a cruel smile. He crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame. "Well, I never expected to see you in one of my cells. How do you like the accommodations, Vale?"

Valeia gritted her teeth and held his gaze. "Just perfect."

His attention flicked to her bleeding fist. "Seems you had a bit of an altercation with the wall. You know the lacrima will just absorb whatever you throw at it, don't you?"

She sneered at him and crossed her arms, mirroring his own condescending posture. "So, you found a way to make it indestructible? Too bad you couldn't do that with the Tower of Heaven."

A flash of anger flickered in his eyes for a moment before the ice replaced it. "Natsu Dragneel and the collision of the realms were more than it was built to withstand."

"Pity."

"Yes, it is." He stalked closer and grabbed her chin with a smirk. "Now, what should I do to you for running away, my precious Vale?"

Valeia wrenched her chin out of his grip and slapped his hands away. "Caging me wasn't good enough for you? I figured as much. But really... Gloating is beneath even you."

Jellal's jaw clenched. "Is it? I find it refreshing when your opponent is already crushed."

"Did you make an exception in this case, then?" Heat pooled in her belly, and she stiffened. I could rip his throat out here and now. He'd deserve it.

Jellal raised a brow. "Exceptions? Me?" He shook his head with a hard laugh. "No. And if I were you, I'd disguise that murderous intent of yours better. It's practically bleeding off you."

She clenched her blood-slicked fist with a bitter smile. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He grabbed her arm and dragged her forward. She resisted but found herself in his embrace anyway. His breath tickled her ear as he laughed. "You always were the smart one." His lips brushed the shell of her ear. "If you don't cooperate, you'll be the one they bury. Not me."

Valeia tensed, jerking her head back away from him. She met his dark gaze with a grin. "On the contrary, you're the one who's going to wish you never crossed me."

He smiled and dipped his head. His warm lips brushed the sensitive skin at the juncture of her neck. "But Vale, darling, I wasn't the one who crossed you. You crossed me."

She bit her lip. That much was partially true. She'd betrayed him when she used Fairytale's appearance to escape. But only after he'd crushed her trust in him. He'd proven what kind of person he was, and she couldn't tolerate being a part of his vision. "And you betrayed my trust first."

His lips curved against her neck. "I never deceived you, Vale. You chose to believe in a lie." He pulled away and shoved her down onto the straw pallet. Kneeling in front of her, he reached out and cupped her cheek in his calloused palm. "I promised you the world. But I never promised you could have it without dirtying your hands."

She offered him a humorless smile. "I was a fool to believe there was any good left in you."

He rose with a shrug. "A mistake I'm sure you won't make again." He turned and strode to the door. "I'll have the guards bring you to me later. Don't fight back. They have orders to kill you if you prove too difficult."

Valeia's heart sank. She curled up into a ball on the straw mat. Her blood-soaked fingers stretched out across the prickly straw, and tears burned at the corners of her eyes. She refused to let them fall, holding onto the anger and hating herself for being so weak.

She would find a way, she decided. No matter what it took, she would find a way to destroy Jellal. But not before she'd destroyed everything he cared about and everything he'd worked so hard to build. If that meant acting like she'd come to see things his way, so be it.

***

Kaladin let his head drop back to rest against the rock wall of the cell. After the first battle that they'd failed to win, Jellal had taken away all his infused spheres. He glanced out the window of his tower cell, watching the rain pound down from the sky. If he'd had any spheres, the energy humming through this storm would've infused them with Stormlight. But he didn't have any, and the little Stormlight he'd had left after the battle had long since trickled away. Unable to fight back or fill himself with the raging energy, Kaladin felt worn and useless.

Syl flitted in the window and perched on his shoulder. She flew off again and landed on the pallet next to his cell mate's head. Nimewe stirred, her dark lashes fluttering against pale cheeks. But she didn't wake, and Syl settled down to watch her sleep. "She's very pretty, Kal."

Kaladin watched Nimewe. Then he sighed and shifted to a more comfortable position on his pallet. He didn't respond to Syl's comment, afraid he'd wake the sleeping woman.

The wind from the storm drove through the slit that served them as a window and ruffled the woman's platinum blond hair. He traced the curve of her cheek with his gaze, then let his eyes wander over her shoulder and down the gentle curve of her hip.

The woman was a marvel. What she'd done to Nesh out on the field had seemed like a form of Stormlight. He leaned his head back against the wall again and shut his eyes. If I could just get to the others, we'd be able to take this maniac out. With the others and Stormlight—

"Your energy is disturbed, spearman." Nimewe's lilting voice pulled him from his reverie. "What has made your thoughts so dark?"

He glanced at her and found himself being sucked in by the deep violet hue of her eyes. Hadn't they been a redder shade during the battle? "What hasn't?" He shut his eyes, closing out the pained look in those dark eyes of hers. "I've lost my men, lost the Stormlight, and lost what little freedom I had left."

"You had no freedom before?" Her clothes rustled.

He grunted. "Practically none, but even as a slave, I had some control over things. At the end, at least."

Syl sighed. "You always had some control, silly."

Kaladin raised a brow at his companion but didn't respond otherwise.

"Your companion has a point." Nimewe hummed. "And you still have control here too."

Opening his eyes, he frowned. She'd moved closer, and he could smell fresh rain and jasmine on her skin. A strange scent for her to carry since they hadn't been given a chance to wash the blood from their clothes. "You can see Syl?" He glanced at Syl, who shrugged. Evidently, she hadn't revealed herself, so Nimewe shouldn't be able to see her at all.

"Yes." She bit her lip. "She introduced herself the night we were brought here."

He shifted, eyeing her full red lips. Then he stiffened and looked away. His men were being held in the dungeons—he'd discovered that when he'd been sent to escort the newest prisoner down to the holding cells on the lower levels. This wasn't the time to find a woman interesting. "What do you mean I have control here too?"

Nimewe touched his arm. "Kaladin..." She sighed and moved to sit beside him. "We always have choices. You don't have to be a victim even if you are a prisoner."

He glanced over at her. Her arm brushed against his, and warmth flushed through him. He felt the blood rush to his cheeks and looked away, staring out the window. "How would you know about victims and prisoners?"

She laughed, the sound tinkling and merry. "I'm a prisoner now." The laughter faded. "And I've been a victim in the past."

That caught his attention. He pulled away and turned to face her, sitting cross-legged on his mat. "You don't strike me as the victim type."

She ducked her head with a small smile. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders, falling over her face. "I lost my parents to creatures of Nesh's ilk. The demon's kin slaughtered them without mercy, just as she programmed them to do."

Kaladin rested his palms on his knees, and Syl hovered between them. "I'm sorry about your parents. No wonder you hate Nesh so much."

She lifted her head with a sigh, and as he watched her, her irises flared with the same reddish-orange hue they'd had when she'd confronted Nesh on the battlefield. "I don't hate him because he is related to the Cursed. I hate him because I can sense the evil he would like to do to me, to the rest of us, in his energy."

"You can sense all that from the energy a person holds?"

Nimewe nodded and met his gaze with a small smile. "Where I come from, our magic is fueled by the energy of the world. We absorb it through the colors around us. Each color fuels a different form of magic." She picked at the straw of his pallet. "But just as we can sense the energy in the things surrounding us, we can also sense the energy of those around us. Some of us, myself being one of them, are considered Sensers. We can sense intentions and desires in the energy, not just vague feelings."

Kaladin chewed on his lower lip. If she could sense all that from energy, she knew what he'd been feeling toward her. The thought made him shift uncomfortably.

"This frightens you." She pulled her knees up to her chest. "I shouldn't have said anything."

His stomach knotted. She didn't mean him any harm. It wasn't her fault she could do this either. He reached out and rested a hand on her knee. "Nimewe—" Consoling people was out of his depth, but he couldn't let her think that she wasn't welcome because of her ability. "I won't lie and say that I'm not a bit scared of the idea that you know so much about me with just a glance. But—" But what? Was it really so bad to be completely known in that way?

Yes.

Or, at least, his answer should be yes. But another part of him murmured that it wasn't so bad. That he could trust her.

Syl fluttered over to perch on Nimewe's shoulder, a pleading look on her elfin face. Kaladin's heart wrenched. Now both women were upset.

"But I can't help it, so you don't want me to feel bad." Nimewe's gaze skittered away from his. "It's alright. You can admit it."

He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I'm not very good at this."

Syl rolled her eyes. "No, you aren't."

A sad smile touched Nimewe's lips. "People are always frightened by it. Even my own people get unnerved. I do it better than most." She stiffened under his touch. "People don't like it."

Kaladin cleared his throat. "Well, I think it's useful. You always know the intentions of others, so you know if they'll hurt you or not. And you're not a bad person." His cheeks flushed with heat. "So, I think maybe it's for the best you have the ability and not someone else."

Nimewe sucked in a breath. "Y-you don't mean that."

"You know I do." He squeezed her knee and pulled away. What had possessed him to touch her, anyway? The heat in his cheeks spread to his neck. What was wrong with him? He shouldn't be like this. Hadn't been like this since Laral when he was a child.

"It's okay, you know." Nimewe wrapped her arms around her knees and rested her cheek against them. "Normal even."

"What?" Kaladin frowned.

"Your attraction." She curled in on herself further, and Kaladin saw a splash of color darken her cheeks.

That was it then. She had picked up on his interest. His gut twisted, and he wished she hadn't. It wasn't fair to her. He had to leave here, and he couldn't take her with him. Not if he was truly going to free his men and go after Jellal. The thought left a sour taste in his mouth. "Nimewe, it—I can't..."

"You're going to leave." She buried her face in her knees. "You're going to get yourself killed, you know."

"At least I'll have tried." Kaladin rose and paced to the window. He had to try. He couldn't leave his men in Jellal's clutches, and he'd promised no more of them would die.

"You'll get caught." Her knees muffled her lute-like voice.

"I agree with her, Kal. You shouldn't do this." Syl flew to him, zipping in circles around his head.

"I'm not leaving my men to rot in the dungeon. Or, worse, be used as leverage against me or each other." Kaladin bit his lip. "I promised them I wouldn't let anyone else die. No more. That's what I said."

Nimewe's hand landed on his arm, and he sucked in a breath, turning to face her with a racing heart. Tears filled her now-blue eyes. "You'll do them no favors by getting yourself caught and killed. And Jellal would kill them first just to make you suffer for your escape attempt."

"He really is that evil." Syl lit down on the stone sill of the window.

Kaladin stared out at the pouring rain. "Would you leave your friends in the hands of a madman?"

She crossed her arms. "I already have. He has people I consider good friends too. You aren't the only one. And I don't want any of them to die because of you."

"I won't hurt them."

"Your actions will have results you can't predict." Nimewe turned to face him and pressed a palm over his heart. "I know your heart is telling you to do all you can to save them. But right now, you have to use your head, not your heart."

He lowered his head until their noses almost brushed. "I'm sorry, Nimewe. But I can't."

She lowered her lashes. "You can't get out of this cell, anyway."

He glanced down at her lips, which were only inches from his. As much as he wanted to rescue his men, he didn't want to leave Nimewe here. He'd been in this cell with her for three days since the battle, and though they had barely spoken, he felt responsible for her. "I can. But it doesn't do me any good if you raise the alarm."

She bit her lip. "You think I'd do that?"

"To keep them from hurting your friends?"

"And you." Nimewe's breath caught. "You think I'd tell just for my sake?"

He didn't know what he thought. But he'd been stabbed in the back by enough people he'd trusted that he didn't believe she was incapable. "I've been betrayed by people I thought were on my side before."

Nimewe wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her forehead against his, drawing them closer together. "If you insist on going, they won't catch you because of me." She sighed. "But Aeri is planning a way to take down Jellal's regime. Can't you work with us and wait?"

"I—" Kaladin paused, considering it. But he couldn't. It was too unpredictable. Too dangerous. "I can't. My men are in danger every moment I hesitate."

"Will you just leave me here?" She released him and took a step back.

Kaladin didn't know why he did it, but he caught her by the waist with a vehement shake of his head. "No. I'm not going to do that."

She searched his face, her blue eyes darkening to indigo. "You'll have to if you're going to save them."

"I'll come back for you after I kill Jellal." Kaladin's heart raced, and he found himself distracted once more by the pain in her expression.

But she nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him close. "I don't want you to die."

"You barely know me..."

"I know you're a good man."

A good man wouldn't leave her here in danger while he left to go free his friends. A good man would find a way to get her out of harm's way first. A good man—

She pulled back just enough to look up at his face. Reaching up, she cupped his stubbled cheek in her smooth palm. "You are a good man, Kaladin. I know that." Then she stood on her toes and kissed him.

She'd miscalculated the height difference, and her lips landed at the corner of his mouth instead. It didn't matter. That one touch stole his breath. He dipped his head and claimed her mouth with his, giving in to her touch and her embrace. But only for a moment.

One minute in time.

He prayed she would understand his silent promise. Their lips parted. He pulled away and brushed his thumb over her lower lip. Her eyes met his, and he knew she understood.

He would come back for her. No matter what, he wouldn't leave her here alone. Releasing her, he strode to the door. He picked up the bucket that had been left for a chamber pot and slammed it against the stone walls with a shout.

At first, nothing happened.

Kaladin rammed it against the door with a yell.

Syl flitted over and hovered in the air over the keyhole. "Kal, no one's going to fall for that."

Behind him, Nimewe released a heavy sigh. "Let me... Sorry for the act in advance." She sucked in a deep breath and let out an ear-shattering scream. "He's gone crazy! Guards, please, help! H-he—" She swallowed as Kaladin turned to her with a raised brow, her lower lip trembling. "Oh, gods have mercy! He's g-going to kill me."

Kaladin shook his head. Stormfather, but the girl was a good actress. She even managed a panicked expression and tears. The door flew open, and she crumpled to the floor, shaking and sobbing.

For one moment, silence reigned. The guards clanged in. The door hid him partially from sight, and neither had spotted him, though he could see their boots from his position by the door.

"What's going on in—"

Kaladin slammed the heavy door into the two guards on the other side. One of them went down as the door thwacked against his head. The other lost his balance and stumbled back but didn't fall. Stepping out from behind the door, Kaladin snatched up the spear the unconscious guard had been holding and rammed it through the other guard's throat before he could utter another word.

The guard gurgled, choking on his own blood. Kaladin tore the spear free, and the man crumpled to the floor in a pool of his own blood.

He stood there for a moment, staring down at the corpse where it lay. Life before death. He'd said those words. Had he really needed to mortally wound the man? For a moment, he hoped he could save him. But one glance told Kaladin the hope was futile. He was already gone, death glazing his vacant stare.

Soldier?

Or surgeon?

Killer?

Or savior?

Right now, Kaladin was the killer, not the savior.

Syl hovered over the body. "You shouldn't have killed him."

"I know." Kaladin scrubbed his palm over his face. "But I did. I'm a soldier, Syl. It's what I do."

She sighed.

Nimewe strode to him and laid a hand on his arm. "Kaladin, go. I'll make sure the other one stays quiet."

He nodded and strode out into the silent corridor. He walked past Aeri's cell. Nesh and Aeri were both awake. Nesh's grin told Kaladin that the demon didn't care what he was up to so long as it involved revenge and bloodshed. But Aeri's furious stare added urgency to his steps as he hurried away from their cell.

What had Nimewe said? Aeri was planning a way to take Jellal down. And now he was going to mess that plan up. No wonder she was angry. He ghosted down the hallway with Syl on his shoulder, hurrying for the side of the tower where the stairs had been.

He reached them without incident. Fresh air carried the scent of turned earth and wet grass up from below. Kaladin breathed deeply and prepared himself to descend into the castle. Freedom was in the air. He just had to reach his men and free them.

Footsteps sounded in the hall behind him. He bit his lip and rushed down the stairs, keeping his tread as light as he could. Still, the sound of his boots on the stone resounded up the stairwell, and he winced. Syl tittered, leaving his shoulder to drift down the stairs alongside him. "You know, you're about as quiet as a rampaging chull." She crossed her arms. "You'll get caught like this."

He shot her a glare.

The footsteps from above stopped. Then the shouts rang through the space.

Kaladin dashed down the stairs, no longer caring if they heard him. This was the only way he could've gone. If he didn't make it down these steps, he'd never make it at all.

Something slammed into him from behind, and he tumbled down the last three stairs. He landed on his back with a groan. Every breath burned, and his chest ached. Kaladin was certain he'd cracked a rib. Ignoring the pain, he pushed himself to his feet and ran.

"Kal! Watch out!"

Syl's warning came just in time to keep him from colliding with the very man he'd been intending to kill. Kaladin jolted to a stop and brought the spear up, ready to run Jellal through if he had the chance.

Jellal just laughed. "Where are you running to, slave? Escape attempts aren't taken lightly here. I wonder what you were thinking?" He glanced up at the sky peeking through the slitted window a few steps above them.

Kaladin's ribs screamed in protest, but he forced himself into motion. Lunging forward, he lashed out with the spearhead, intending to drive it through Jellal's ribs to his heart. He could end this here and now. Jellal was within easy reach, and once he ended the leader, the others would follow easily.

The spear never connected.

One moment, Jellal was there, and the next he wasn't.

Kaladin spun, his brow furrowing. How had that happened? Even with a Lashing, Kaladin couldn't move that quickly.

"Looking for me?" Jellal's voice bounced around the staircase landing, disembodied. It whipped past him for a moment, then Jellal materialized in front of him. Or at least, Kaladin thought that's what had happened.

His eyes widened, and he crouched, ready for an attack.

When it came, it wasn't in the form he'd expected. Nor was it in a form he could fight.

Jellal lifted his hands and placed one on top of the other with his wrists touching. Spreading his index fingers and middle fingers apart, he smirked. "Escape attempts never, ever end well." Black orbs coalesced at Jellal's palms, growing steadily.

Kaladin stared at it in confusion and abject horror. He glanced at Syl. Should he run? Would it even do any good? Without the ability to Lash himself, he doubted he'd be able to dodge those things fast enough.

The orbs exploded from Jellal's hands, speeding toward him. He dodged the first hurtling orb, but the second and third hit him square in the chest. Searing pain exploded through him, and then he lost all feeling in his legs. He dropped to his knees with a scream. His eyes burned, and his head felt as if it was swelling to twice its size. He tried to lift his hands to clutch his head, but his arms wouldn't obey him.

He collapsed on the floor and gritted his teeth, determined to endure silently.

Jellal approached, clapping slowly. "Nice try. Dodging the first one? Now that was impressive. Too bad you weren't quicker." He turned toward someone Kaladin couldn't see from his position. "I suppose I ought to reward you for warning the guards."

Kaladin narrowed his eyes, and his heart clenched. Who had warned them? It couldn't have been Nimewe. She wouldn't have done that, would she? Please, don't let it be her. He bit his lip and held his breath.

Boot-clad feet approached, and his gaze traveled up until they met with Aeri's ice-cold gaze. "You should've stayed put." She crouched beside him.

He glared up at her. "Traitor."

She ignored him. "Now you've ruined everything and put us all in danger."

Jellal snickered. "No, not all of you. Just himself and his own men." He stalked to Kaladin and flicked a hand.

Kaladin rose into the air, and pain lanced through his ribs again. "Go ahead. Do your worst." He gritted his teeth. "I'm not afraid to die."

Jellal's lips quirked upward. "I believe you, but I'm not going to kill you." He walked forward, and Kaladin found himself being dragged along behind, still suspended in the air.

He gritted his teeth, anger swelling inside of him. How dare Aeri betray him? His plan would've worked if she hadn't opened her mouth. She'd ruined his only chance at Jellal. And now people were going to pay for it. Was she really so cold as to sacrifice anyone who got in the way of her plan? Maybe so. She certainly seemed to be made of ice.

The guards dragged Aeri, Nimewe, and the new girl up to walk in front of Jellal. Nimewe cast a glance back at him, and this time, real tears filled her eyes. He stared at her for a moment before he hung his head. He couldn't offer her hope. He'd lost miserably. He hadn't even made it out of the tower. What could he offer her besides failure?

Syl flew between him and Nimewe, her expression a mask of concern. "Kal, what's going on?"

He shook his head, unable to answer. Whatever was going on, it wasn't good. "Syl," he whispered. "Leave. Go find somewhere to hide until this is over. I don't want you to see whatever he has planned."

She frowned and crossed her arms. "I shouldn't leave you."

"Please. Just this—"

"What are you whispering about back there?" Jellal's tone turned hard. "Don't make me force you to keep quiet."

Kaladin shut his mouth and stared at Syl beseechingly. She bit her lip, glancing between him and Nimewe. Finally, she nodded. "I'll wait back in the cell. But only for a little while. If you don't return soon, I'll come find you."

He nodded.

She left him, and his chest squeezed. The familiar hopelessness rose, choking him and whispering to him of failure and the ashes of hopes raised too high. He lowered his head and squeezed his eyes shut. He never should've tried to escape. Hadn't he learned anything from the times he'd done that as a slave?

Apparently not. He still hadn't changed after all this time, it seemed.

***

They came through the Gate onto dusty, cracked ground. Kaladin recognized the place instantly. The Shattered Plains. Chasms riddled the war-torn land, and he bit his lip, wondering why they were here.

Jellal turned to face him as the guards lined the three women up alongside the edge of a chasm. "Now then, bridgeman. I believe that's what they call you here, isn't it?" He grinned. "I've instructed my guards to bring your men and a few other—" He waved a hand. "Special guests to join us."

Kaladin would've flinched if the bonds holding him had allowed it. Instead, he simply hovered in mid-air, a prisoner just as Jellal had intended. The Gate to his left flashed, and he looked over to see the magic-users that usually guarded Jellal dragging Teft, Lopez, and Rock through the Gate. In any other situation, he would've been surprised that anyone had subdued the Horneater. The man lumbered up and stared up at Kaladin with a shake of his head. "What are you doing up there, Captain? Airsick lowlanders!" He scowled at Jellal.

Jellal didn't respond to the Horneater's irritated gaze. He nodded to the guards, who dragged the men past Kaladin to where the three women were lined up. The Gate flashed once more, and three more guards came through, dragging a limp figure. The salt-and-pepper hair and uniform were recognizable anywhere.

Kaladin gasped as the guards dragged Dalinar Kholin into line with the others.

Jellal clapped his hands together with a twisted smirk, drawing Kaladin's attention away from the Brightlord he'd tried so hard to save. Now he wondered why he'd bothered. Jellal had done the job that Kaladin had been trying to stop the Parshendi from doing, and he'd clearly done a better job of it.

"Now, bridgeman. You have a choice. Two of these men are going to die. If you don't choose them, I'll just kill them all." He waved a hand to the prisoners. "One minute. Who dies?"

Nimewe's tear-filled gaze met his. Kaladin's heart wrenched as he looked at each of his men in turn. He swallowed hard. He'd promised them. He'd storming promised them that no one else would die! They stared back at him with trust and resignation.

He sucked in a breath, reaching out for Stormlight, praying to the Stormfather that the spheres in the chasms might be infused. Might somehow let him draw from them even though he wasn't touching them. But nothing happened.

Of course, it wouldn't. He'd sent Syl away. And without the honorspren, he was powerless. He bowed his head, tears running down his cheeks. How could he choose two to die? How could he?

"Time's up. Who will it be?" Jellal's voice cut into him like a whip.

Kaladin raised his head, his vision blurred by the tears. "I...I can't."

Teft stepped forward with a sigh. "Son, I've had my time. Spare the young ones."

Lopez cleared his throat and also stepped forward. "And me, gancho. Not much use with one arm, anyway."

Kaladin's jaw clenched. "Teft... Lopez... I—" His voice cut off in a sob. "I promised. I promised no more deaths."

Teft grimaced. "That's the problem with you, kid. Always trying to save everyone. Death comes to us all, whether we like or not."

"How very touching." Jellal strolled over to the four men standing by the chasm's edge. Well, three of them were standing anyway. Dalinar was slumped on the ground, looking dead already. "But you took too long to decide." He turned and swept his arm out behind him.

For a moment, Kaladin thought nothing had happened.

Then the four men flew backward as though they'd been slapped by an invisible hand. They tumbled through the air for a moment before hurtling down like stones toward the chasm floor. Kaladin threw himself forward against the bonds with a guttural scream. Tears flowed down his face. The pain flared again, and he yelled, the last of his energy fleeing him.

He sagged in the bonds, and the fight seeped out of him. Teft. Rock. Lopez. Dalinar. He'd lost them all because he couldn't choose two. His chin dipped and rested against his heaving chest as he wept for those he'd lost. Their blood now stained his hands, and it was all his fault.

Jellal approached with a laugh and stood before him. "We're not done yet."

Kaladin raised his head, staring off into the distance. The war camps perched a few chasms away, and his heart sank. They weren't here just for an execution. They were here to kidnap more people from his world. And Jellal wanted him to watch. To see what his defiance had cost.

A sneer spread over Jellal's lips. "Good. I see you understand. Now, there are some people here we need to pay a visit to."