The Mime Order (The Bone Season Book 2)

by Samantha Shannon

‘The Ranthen were the ones who supported the Mothallath,’ I said. ‘You’re all that’s left, aren’t you?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘And you still hold a grudge against the Sargas.’ I nodded slowly. ‘Okay. I get it now.’ ‘Knowing all of this, would you be willing to continue our alliance?’ ‘Depends what you want.’ ‘To overthrow the usurpers and forge an open and cordial relationship with humans,’ Warden said. ‘The Sargas have become precisely what they criticise in mortals. They wish to conquer Earth. We do not.’ ‘But you can’t live in the Netherworld.’ ‘We hope the Netherworld can one day be restored,’ he said, ‘but until then, we would be content to dwell among humans without ruling over you. Ideally, we would have an advisory role in your world, to keep the number of spirits in check and establish a fair balance of power. If we cannot do this, we fear there will be chaos.’ ‘What sort of chaos?’ ‘If the Netherworld can fall, so can Earth.’