Exclusive Excerpt from The King’s Sun

by Isaac Grisham

Kitsune opened his eyes, finding himself lying in a bed stuffed with old hay, cloaks and blankets spread across his body to keep him warm. Makeshift though it was, he was more comfortable than he’d been in some time.

His surroundings confused him. The room looked more like a banquet hall than a bedroom, complete with rows of tables and benches for dining, two enormous fireplaces to keep the room warm, and an area devoid of clutter for mingling and dancing.

Many a celebration had been sung in this hall. Kitsune felt a sense of gaiety lingering in the air. It would be a long while before it would happen again, if ever. By the looks of things, the structure had been abandoned for several sun cycles. The roof at the far end of the room had collapsed, letting in glorious rays of sunshine. Birds nested in the rafters above. They and other rodents that had taken up residence left a mess strewn about the floor, much of which had been swept aside.

A clunking sound emanated from inside one of the fireplaces, followed shortly by a long string of curses. Kitsune froze, half expecting Jimmy, back from the dead, to come stumbling out, cradling an injured thumb. Instead, a young man close to his own age emerged, tossing aside a pile of charred wood.

The fear of his previous captors had dissipated, but Kitsune was still frozen in place. His eyes widened and his chest constricted. Though he had never seen this man before, he had the distinct feeling that he knew him.

He couldn’t be sure from this distance, but Kitsune guessed that the man was a hair shorter than he was. His dark brown mane was on the shorter side, though thick and disheveled. It framed a heart-shaped face with a strong jawline and high cheekbones. Several days’ worth of facial hair sprouted from tanned skin, accentuating his masculinity. This was further helped by the fact that he wasn’t wearing a shirt, and soot smeared his chest and abdomen. Like Kitsune, he wasn’t incredibly muscular, but the prince could see that the strength was there, as well as the will to use it. Continue reading →