“If she’d killed Zola, I’d have killed her,” Kelsier replied. “Better to die free than live a slave, Saze. You knew that once; that’s why you joined us. That’s why you fought.
”You’re a good man, Saze. A better one than me and I wouldn’t want you otherwise. But this woman was dying tonight, one way or another, by Marie’s hand or mine. Stopping her here doesn’t change that.
“And it won’t stop me from freeing her every time the Compounder reclaims her.” His eyes stayed focused on Marie’s spikes, fierce and challenging.
“So why not try something else? Let her work with me, follow my rules.” He smirked slightly, humor flickering in the back of his true eye. “With her history she’ll need a trial period anyway. And Marie needs to decide if she likes the way I work. Ganache can fight her off if she needs to - you’ve seen her do it. And you’ll have your Compounder and Kandra to keep an eye on things.” He smiled. “It’s worth a try, at least. When was the last time you let her run free?” His voice softened, his eye growing distant. “Three hundred years is a long time to be a slave, Saze. Hell, sixteen months nearly broke me.”
@Condensation
Eryn chuckled, following Zola into the washroom. “First wet hands,” she demonstrated, “then soap, then scrub hands together, then pat face, then wash off hands, wash off face, then dry.” She moved away from the basin, smiling at Zola. “Your turn.”