Emperor Mage

HarperVoyager

An imprint ofHarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk

First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers 2018

Copyright © Tamora Pierce 1995

Map copyright © Isidre Mones 2017

Jacket design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2018

Tamora Pierce asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Source ISBN: 9780008304133

Ebook Edition © August 2018 ISBN: 9780008304140

Version: 2018-09-12

‘Tamora Pierce didn’t just blaze a trail. Her heroines cut a swathe through the fantasy world with wit, strength, and savvy. Pierce is the real lioness, and we’re all just running to keep pace.’

LEIGH BARDUGO, #1 New York Times bestselling author

‘Tamora Pierce creates epic worlds populated by girls and women of bravery, heart, and strength. Her work inspired a generation of writers and continues to inspire us.’

HOLLY BLACK, #1 New York Times bestselling author

‘Tamora Pierce’s books shaped me not only as a young writer but also as a young woman. Her complex, unforgettable heroines and vibrant, intricate worlds blazed a trail for young adult fantasy – and I get to write what I love today because of the path she forged throughout her career. She is a pillar, an icon, and an inspiration.’

SARAH J. MAAS, #1 New York Times bestselling author

‘I take more comfort from and as great pleasure in Tamora Pierce’s Tortall novels as I do from Game of Thrones.’

Washington Post

‘Tamora Pierce and her brilliant heroines didn’t just break down barriers; they smashed them with magical fire.’

KATHERINE ARDEN, author of The Bear and the Nightingale

To those who took a struggling young writer, cushioned her in her early months in the Big Apple, and agreed that no idea was too crazy:

Ellen Harris-Brooker

P. J. Snyder

Craig Tenney

and

Robert Wehe

How could I forget?

I couldn’t have done it

without you!

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Praise for Tamora Pierce

Dedication

Map

Chapter 1: Guests in Carthak

Chapter 2: Imperial Welcome

Chapter 3: Hall of Bones

Chapter 4: Strange Conversations

Chapter 5: Palace Tour

Chapter 6: Carthaki Magecraft

Chapter 7: Waking Dreams

Chapter 8: The Badger Returns

Chapter 9: Daine Loses Her Temper

Chapter 10: Steel Feather

Epilogue

Afterword

Acknowledgements

Read on for a preview of The Realms of the Gods: Book Four of the Immortals Quartet

Also by Tamora Pierce

About the Publisher

His Royal Highness Kaddar, prince of Siraj, duke of Yamut, count of Amar, first lord of the Imperium, heir apparent to His Most Serene Majesty Emperor Ozorne of Carthak, fanned himself and wished the Tortallans would dock. He had been waiting aboard the imperial galley since noon, wearing the panoply of his office as the day, hot for autumn, grew hotter. He shot a glare at the nobles and academics on hand to welcome the visitors: they could relax under the awnings. Imperial dignity kept him in this unshaded chair, where a gold surface collected the sun to throw it back into his eyes.

Looking about, the prince saw the captain, leaning on the rail, scowl and make the Sign against evil on his chest. A stinging fly chose that moment to land on Kaddar’s arm. He yelped, swatted the fly, got to his feet, and removed the crown. ‘Enough of this. Bring me something to drink,’ he ordered the slaves. ‘Something cold.’

He went to the captain, trying not to wince as too-long-inactive legs tingled. ‘What on earth are you staring at?’

‘Tired of broiling, Your Highness?’ The man spoke without looking away from the commercial harbour outside the breakwater enclosing the imperial docks. He could speak to Kaddar with less formality than most, since he had taught the prince all that young man knew of boats and sailing.

‘Very funny. What has you making the Sign?’

The captain handed the prince his spyglass. ‘See for yourself, Highness.’

Kaddar looked through the glass. All around the waterfront, birds made use of every visible perch. On masts, ledges, gutters, and ropes they sat, watching the harbour. He found pelicans, birds of prey – on the highest, loneliest perches – songbirds, the grey-and-brown sparrows that lived in the city. Even ship rails sported a variety of feathered creatures. Eerily, that vast collection was silent. They stared at the harbour without uttering a sound.