I-2. Sja-Anat

An interlude chapter from Sja-anat's perspective. The Unmade explains her nature, her ability to keep secrets from Odium, and her strategy of sending some of her corrupted spren as sacrifices while protecting others. When Odium confronts her about her activities, she navigates their power dynamic carefully, ultimately being commanded to watch Taravangian rather than go to the tower as she had hoped.

Sja-anat, the Unmade called Taker of Secrets, exists between the Physical and Cognitive Realms. She has been planning for some time, her mind revitalized by the appearance of the Everstorm. She sends some of her corrupted windspren away and dispatches one of her greater children—a glowing, changing being—to the tower to investigate the man Mraize and find his own bond, though not necessarily with a human. The smaller windspren are sacrifices; Sja-anat knows Odium will discover and unmake them, distracting him from her larger scheme. When Odium manifests, he demands to know what spren she has sent away. Sja-anat maintains a delicate game with him: she pretends to have contacted the human Radiant Shallan on his behalf, and he pretends he doesn't know she acted against his will. She cannot allow him to catch her in a verifiable lie or he will unmake her completely. Sja-anat claims her spren are watching the tower and mentions her desire to see her "cousin," the slumbering Sibling, and possibly awaken it. This appeals to Odium's anticipation, and he orders her instead to watch the man Taravangian and his betrayal, forbidding her to go to the tower. Though she protests, Sja-anat obeys. She senses a weakness between Odium's mind (the Vessel) and the power itself (the Shard), which favors passion and questions. As Odium departs to speak with the Nine, Sja-anat plans her next steps: she will appear to sulk about the Emul assignment, hope Odium finds and unmakes her windspren sacrifices, and then accompany Taravangian as ordered—staying close to what she recognizes as a weapon.