The Saintess of Second-Hand Grace

Nicasia Almeira is many things: a gifted grifter, a connoisseur of cheap wine, and the most convincing fake saintess in the sprawling Imperial city of Porto Caelus. Her 'miracles' are just cleverly staged illusions, a means to keep a roof over her head. But when her former best friend, the newly promoted Imperial Inquisitor Maella, decides to make an example of her, Nicasia's act becomes a desperate flight for her life. Her escape is hijacked by Damario de Valoria, the painfully sincere leader of the 'Crimson Dawn' rebellion. He's convinced Nicasia is the 'Blessed Vessel' of prophecy, a divine symbol destined to overthrow the empire. Now, stuck with a revolutionary who's more of a handsome nuisance than a savior, Nicasia must keep up her holy charade. The problem? Her panicked, sarcastic prayers are suddenly, inexplicably, starting to work. As she and Damario bicker their way across the country, she begins to wonder what's more dangerous: the vengeful Inquisitor on their trail, or the inconvenient fact that she might actually be divine after all. When she discovers the Crimson Dawn's prophecy and her own forgotten past are two sides of the same cursed coin, will she embrace a destiny she never wanted, or will her greatest con be convincing the world she's nobody special?