by Jordan Rivet
“And Micathea?”
“Yes, Princess?”
“If you somehow manage to destroy the formula and escape Obsidian, don’t come back.”
Epilogue
Mica and Caleb boarded the aging schooner as the early-morning commotion surrounded them. Sailors shouted at each other, boots thudded on wooden decks, and seagulls bickered over refuse. The aroma of fish and fresh-cut timber from a dozen building projects had overwhelmed the smell of smoke from the previous week. In addition to repairing the damage from the battle, Silverfell was reinforcing its defenses, preparing for war. The Obsidian invasion was advancing more rapidly than anyone had predicted, and it was only a matter of time before the dark horde reached these shores.
Mica sported a brand-new face, a plain one with dull blue eyes and mousy hair that wouldn’t make anyone look twice. Caleb had acquired a wide-brimmed hat to cast his features in shadow. Both wore simple clothes and carried sturdy packs with a few days’ worth of provisions. They had taken passage on one of the few vessels willing to carry them east, toward the front lines.
Caleb had said little since they were reunited. Mica knew fatigue wasn’t the only thing causing his somberness. He had killed his uncle, who he’d been close to for most of his life. His best friend had declared him an imperial traitor and a murderer and stripped him of his former life. Overnight, he’d lost friends, relatives, admirers. Only Mica and Jessamyn knew he had saved them all when he snapped Ober’s neck. Still, Caleb was a good and kind man, a true noble, and he wouldn’t bear the weight of his actions easily.
Mica squeezed his hand briefly as they stood on the deck of the schooner, staying out of the way of the sailors. She started to release her grip, but Caleb held onto her hand even though they were surrounded by people, entwining his fingers with hers.
They had a perilous journey ahead of them, but at least they had each other. They even had the same social status now: they were exiles.
Exiles with a mission.
“Do you think Quinn was telling the truth about the messenger?” Caleb asked, his voice as quiet as possible amidst the cacophony of the harbor.
“Quinn is from Talon,” Mica said. “She wouldn’t want the Obsidians to get the formula.”
The potioner had been the one to release them from their cells and give them the little information they had about the messenger Ober had charged with delivering the Fifth Talent formula to Obsidian if he died. Despite the friendship Quinn and Mica once shared, her manner had been distant and even brusquer than usual.
“As long as you’re sure,” Caleb said. “We don’t want to go chasing after a lie.”
“She was wrong to work with Ober,” Mica said, “but she’s not so vindictive that she would want that formula to reach the Stone Court.”
Quinn had also given them a box of potions that would help them on their journey—and she had assured Mica that Emir would make a full recovery. Mica held out hope that she wasn’t all bad.
Caleb adjusted his hat, pulling it lower over his face. “I wish she’d stopped the messenger before he departed in the first place.”
“Or she,” Mica said. “All we know is the formula is with a Mimic. We can’t make any assumptions.”
Quinn had informed them the messenger was definitely a Mimic—and not the one Mica had killed. The person they sought had a small build and had left Silverfell on a ship called the Keith. Quinn suspected the Mimic was an Obsidian native. Beyond that, she had given them precious little to go on.
Despite how they’d left things, Mica was glad Jessamyn believed they could actually find this person in time. Mica herself wasn’t so sure they could pull it off. Finding a small Mimic who might or might not be from Obsidian would be no easy task, especially in the midst of a war.
As the schooner eased away from its mooring, Mica looked up the elegant avenues of Silverfell toward Lord Bont’s manor. She imagined a red-haired woman standing on the marble portico, watching her departure from afar. She hoped the princess hadn’t meant what she’d said about not returning. Mica hated that things weren’t right between her and Jessamyn. They had let each other down in profound ways. Even now, Mica couldn’t be sure what the princess would do with Quinn and the Fifth Talent potion after she was gone. She trusted Jessamyn with it more than the Obsidian King, though.
If Mica saved the empire from having to face a multi-Talented army, Jessamyn would have to welcome her back. She even dared hope that the princess would allow her to serve at her side once more.
Wind gusted across the deck of the ship, carrying the first hints of spring, and the schooner picked up speed. Gulls swooped around the mast, calling out a raucous farewell.
Mica held Caleb’s hand a little tighter and looked to the east. She would worry about Jessamyn later. Keeping the Fifth Talent formula out of their enemy’s hands was her assignment now. Her and Caleb’s.
She was going to Obsidian at last.
Author’s Note
Thank you for reading An Imposter with a Crown. Mica and Caleb’s journey to Obsidian will continue in the third and final book in the Empire of Talents series. Sign up for Jordan Rivet’s mailing list to get an email when the book launches!
If you are enjoying the Empire of Talents series, you may also want to check out Steel & Fire, a swashbuckling fantasy adventure full of fire magic, swordplay, and romance. Here’s the blurb for the first book, Duel of Fire:
Dara Ruminor is a competitive duelist about to take the kingdom of Vertigon by storm. In a world where swords are used for sport and athletes live like kings as long as the crowds love them, all she needs is a wealthy patron to help her achieve dueling glory.
Instead, she gets Prince Siv, the heir to the throne.
She’s supposed to train with him, but it isn’t as easy as it seems. Handsome, charming, and utterly infuriating, he refuses to take the sport—or her—seriously.
But Prince Siv might not be learning the sword just for fun. As threats emerge from the shadows, with the careless prince as their target, Dara will have to raise her sword to protect him—but even her skill might not be enough to keep them both alive.
Get Duel of Fire here!
Acknowledgments
I have been lucky to have an extraordinary support network throughout my writing career. My family and friends encourage me by asking about my progress, reading my books, providing feedback, and even printing out my drafts when I can’t make it to the print shop.
My family’s support was in evidence more than usual during the writing of this book. They loved the first book in the series, which was all the motivation I needed to write the second. They helped me see the forest for the trees when the early drafts were difficult to write. Then, when our grandpa died shortly before I was supposed to write the final draft, they helped me get the work done—and reminded me when it wasn’t the most important thing.
In Hong Kong, I am grateful to my stalwart writing friends, especially Willow, Amanda, Sarah, Brooke, and Rachel, who listen to my venting and offer all the inspiration I need.
Thank you to my publishing team, including the folks at Deranged Doctor Design, Susie and Lynn at Red Adept Editing, and my agent Sarah Hershman. Thanks, also, to my intrepid publishing friends in the AC.
I’m eternally grateful to my advanced reviewer team and everyone else who has said such nice things about my books.
And, as always, thank you for reading.
Jordan Rivet
Hong Kong, 2018
About the Author
Jordan Rivet is an American author of young adult fantasy and post-apocalyptic adventures. Originally from Arizona, she lives in Hong Kong with her husband. A full-time writer, Jordan can usually be found making faces at her computer in the local Starbucks. She hasn’t been kicked out yet.
www.JordanRivet.com
[email protected]
Also by Jordan Rivet
EMPIRE OF TALENTS
The Spy in the Silver Palace
An Imposter with a Crown
STEEL AND FIRE
Duel of Fire
King of Mist
Dance of Steel
City of Wind
Night of Flame
THE SEABOUND CHRONICLES
Seabound
Seaswept
Seafled
Burnt Sea: A Seabound Prequel