I hated the thought of usurping Eliza; and yet he insisted that she would understand, and he knew her far better than I did.

‘As my mollisher, you will be heir to my section. Upon my death, you will become mime-queen of I-4 and inherit my home in Seven Dials. You will want for nothing. All I ask for in exchange is your loyalty.’ He looked me in the face. ‘Do you accept my proposal?’

My heartbeat was racing now, faster than it ever had – not in fear, but in anticipation.

I still didn’t know what to make of Jaxon Hall, or what kind of promise I was making. For all I knew, I was striking a deal with the devil – but if it saved me from Scion, so be it.

‘Yes,’ I said. ‘Yes, I’ll be your mollisher. And you have my loyalty. Now and always.’

The corner of his mouth lifted.

‘Excellent,’ he said. ‘Until tomorrow, then, Pale Dreamer.’

With that, he walked away.

A cold wind was rising. I stayed where I was for a long while, too shocked to move.

High above London, the stars bore witness to my oath. In that moment, I almost couldn’t see the darkness that surrounded them. I almost couldn’t hear the sirens in the distance. Taking a deep breath, I turned back to the den and allowed myself the softest of smiles.

Now I was free to be what I pleased.

I am Paige Mahoney. I am the Pale Dreamer.

A Note on the Author

A Note on the Author

Samantha Shannon was born in West London in 1991. She started writing at the age of fifteen. Between 2010 and 2013 she studied English Language and Literature at St Anne’s College, Oxford. In 2013 she published The Bone Season, the first in a seven-book series. The Bone Season was a New York Times, a Sunday Times, and an Asian Age bestseller, was picked as a Book of the Year by the Daily Mail, Stylist, and Huffington Post, and was named one of Amazon’s 2013 Best Books of the Year. It has been translated into twenty-six languages and the film rights have been acquired by the Imaginarium Studios and 20th Century Fox. In 2014, Samantha Shannon was included on the Evening Standard’s Power 1000 list.

samanthashannon.co.uk/@say_shannon

Also by Samantha Shannon

Also by Samantha Shannon