Kitsuneko: The Realms Beyond the Rainbow, #0

By C. S. Johnson

Trouble is brewing in the realms beyond the rainbow …

 

Kitsuneko has always done her best to honor her duty. As a young fox-cat changeling, she was conscripted into slavery by King Dario and Queen Arianna of Toulacoeur to serve as the surrogate for Princess Cari, their daughter who was kidnapped seventeen years ago.

But when Kiro, Cari's younger brother and the heir to the throne, proclaims his love for her, Kitsuneko is torn between her duty to the kingdom and her desire for the virtuous prince. 

And when Kiro's kisses leave her breathless, Kitsuneko finds herself -- and the kingdom -- in mortal danger.

For the peace that Toulacoeur enjoys, maintained through the blessing of Kleon, the Unicorn Guardian, is at risk, and to maintain their rule, the king and queen have arranged for Kiro to marry Ariella, a Warlord's daughter from a tribe of Gryphon Riders.

Can Kitsuneko and Kiro find a way to be together and keep the kingdom's peace? Or is their love destined to only lead to destruction?

Kitsuneko is A Companion Novella to The Realms Beyond the Rainbow, a fantasy romance adventure with changelings, rainbow portals, and the US Space Force from award-winning, genre-hopping author C. S. Johnson.

FROM THE BOOK:  

I look in the mirror carefully, scrutinizing the smallest details of the face before me. It is the face of a beautiful young woman, serene and striking all at once. I study the rosy cheeks, still youthfully plump while they start to hint at adulthood, while golden hair falls to either side, sweeping long past the pointed chin. My focus fastens onto the nose in wonderment, mesmerized by the size of the little bump that turns up at its end. I press down on it with my finger, and it shrinks, ever so slightly, in size.

Finally, my gaze travels to see the two large, slanted eyes staring back at me; the misty green twinkles, simultaneously bewildered and cautious.

The eyes are mine, even if the rest of the face is not.

Of all the different kinds of changelings, the kitsunefolk are the only ones whose eyes refuse to change. I doubt this is anything but by design; my kinfolk are known for their inner stubbornness as much as they are known for their outward flexibility. Add in the catblood, and that's me.

I am a changeling from the Honeyspice Lands, a kitsune-neko, and that's all. That is my only role to play in the grand kingdom of Toulacoeur, and so much so, that's what they named me.

I am Kitsuneko, slave of King Dario and his wife, Queen Arianna, their full-time substitute for their daughter, Princess Cari.

I smile into the mirror, and the face of Princess Cari smiles back at me.

"Perfect," I whisper. "You look just like her."

Or at least, I look like what most people think Princess Cari would look like, if she hadn't been kidnapped seventeen years ago.

  

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING:  

"I absolutely love this "tail" of love and tragedy and hope!" ~ Malissa, Audiobook Reviewer

"This is fantasy old school, one adults and kids will enjoy." ~ William, Goodreads Reviewer

• Language: English
• Publisher: C. S. Johnson
• Release date: Jun 15, 2019
• ISBN: 9781948464338

C. S. Johnson

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Book preview

C. S. Johnson

Copyright © 2019 by C. S. Johnson.

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher.

1st Edition.

ISBN ebook: 978-1-948464-33-8

ISBN Paperback: 978-1-948464-34-5

This is for my own sweet little princess. I thank God every day that he gave you to me.

This book is also for my dear friend, Laura, a unicorn princess if I ever met one. Unicorns might be rare, but good friends like you are even more so.

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Find the first chapter of Kitsunkeo here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf4vqsNMyEY

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CHAPTER ONE

※ ※ ※ ※

I LOOK IN THE MIRROR carefully, scrutinizing the smallest details of the face before me. It is the face of a beautiful young woman, serene and striking all at once. I study the rosy cheeks, still youthfully plump while they start to hint at adulthood, while golden hair falls to either side, sweeping long past the pointed chin. My focus fastens onto the nose in wonderment, mesmerized by the size of the little bump that turns up at its end. I press down on it with my finger, and it shrinks, ever so slightly, in size.

Finally, my gaze travels to see the two large, slanted eyes staring back at me; the misty green twinkles, simultaneously bewildered and cautious.

The eyes are mine, even if the rest of the face is not.

Of all the different kinds of changelings, the kitsunefolk are the only ones whose eyes refuse to change. I doubt this is anything but by design; my kinfolk are known for their inner stubbornness as much as they are known for their outward flexibility. Add in the catblood, and that’s me.

I am a changeling from the Honeyspice Lands, a kitsune-neko, and that’s all. That is my only role to play in the grand kingdom of Toulacoeur, and so much so, that’s what they named me.

I am Kitsuneko, slave of King Dario and his wife, Queen Arianna, their full-time substitute for their daughter, Princess Cari.

I smile into the mirror, and the face of Princess Cari smiles back at me.

Perfect, I whisper. You look just like her.

Or at least, I look like what most people think Princess Cari would look like, if she hadn’t been kidnapped seventeen years ago.

Well, where is she? Isn’t she ready yet?

The anxious voice of the queen cuts through my concentration; my pointed, black-tipped ears, the ears of a fox-cat changeling, suddenly shoot out of either side of my head, instinctively twitching and shuddering. I watch with remorse, and only a little bit of prideful cheer, as the blonde hair of the princess changes to my usual shade of reddish brown. 

I touch the ears and rub them, praying to the god of Toulacoeur for comfort. I don’t know if he hears me, but there is an unspeakable sense of peace that settles around me. Calm once more, my ears slip back into my head, and I am able to hold my transformation.

A small sigh escapes me. I’ve always been a good changeling—my very life and its quality depends on it, after all—but no matter my level of skill or the amount of time I practice, there are always some moments I can’t control it, especially when I am alone.

Perhaps after all the time I have spent covering up, I owe it to myself to figure out just who it is I am erasing.

Back in the mirror, the princess’s shapely lips curve into a dark, wry smile as my ears begin to slip back into Cari’s crown of golden locks. Or perhaps it is good that the king and queen don’t allow me to be alone very often then, hmm?

It’s not as if I am the only changeling in the world able to mimic Princess Cari’s likeness; I was just the most convenient one around when they conscripted me into service, and I will be quickly disposed of if I become inconvenient.

Almost as if they can hear my thoughts, the door swings open. I suck in my breath and squeeze my eyes shut, allowing myself one last second to myself, before facing the inevitable.

Kitty?

My breath leaves me in one long exhale, and I almost giggle at my happy turn of fate. Lights above, Kiro, I thought you were your mother.

You mean ‘our mother,’ don’t you? My pretend brother’s teasing tone is light, but I know just from looking at him that despite his smile, he is struggling just as much as I am.

His eyes narrow he looks around my room.

No one else is here, I tell him, and I can see this is what he wants to hear. His shoulders relax, if only momentarily.

We are children of the king and queen, and our privacy is as rare to us as gold to the poorest of the poor.

I guess there are no festivities today, other than dancing and eating? I can’t imagine you’d be allowed to wear that otherwise, I say, pointing to his spiderfly silk shirt and the rich brocade of his vest as I try lightening his mood a little more.

Of course not. The king and queen never bother themselves with what I want, not even at my birthday ball.

I