Lucy Caldwell suffered a disaster in her childhood - her house was burnt, which turned fatal for her parents. She grew up in a children's house with other orphans. She could never forget the fire incident and was sure her parents were murdered, so she wished to investigate the case when she grew old enough. Lucy, like all the other children, frequents a Spirit School, where children are taught to control their inner spiritual energy. When they reach 15 years of age, they befriend spirits that reside in the vast Spirit Forest in East Land and receive the Bond Item - an object from the spirits which permits to summon them whenever in need. Each person is able to form a bond with a single spirit. However, there are certain spirits that never approach humans, are known as man-eaters and have marked severe borders on their territory, eating anyone who trespasses on them. Such is the clan of the tailed foxes - the Huli. Lucy has already reached 15 years, so she goes to the Spirit Forest with her classmates to befriend a spirit and bond with them. However, while sitting around a bonfire and listening to her classmates' scary stories, she remembers the dreadful day of how her house caught fire in past, and, worked-up, runs off into the depths of the forest to cry off her anguish. But as elders often say, dense forests are definitely not a place for little children to run around, for the danger lies in every corner, as Lucy soon comes to realise...

The Guardian Spirit (The Guardians of Nine Heavens, Book 2)

 The rabbit palanquin arrived in the Huli Territory. The curtains moved and Princess Lutecia saw an evergreen garden outside, full of pure waters, colourful flowers, and... tailed foxes! Shudders ran down her spine. Thankfully, there were also some rabbit maidservants that had accompanied her and some male rabbits who had carried her palanquin, so she braced herself and stepped out, following her bunny servants who led her to the tailed foxes under a cherry blossom tree. There, she noticed a tall fox man dressed in a red kimono. He had no less than nine tails. She gulped in fright: 


A fox, and with nine tails?! Oh, High Forces! I’m toast... 


 Tears gathered in her eyes – if this guy was her future husband, he sure looked too fierce and evil... But why would he not? He was the Blood Moon Fox, after all! 


 The guy had long orange hair dropping on his back and shoulders, and shimmering light blue eyes of cold ice. He was holding a red fan and fanning his face with it. 


 The tailed foxes of the Huli were gathered around the cherry blossom tree. Everyone was waiting for the bride to arrive. The bunnies led Princess Lutecia to the tree and she stood trembling beside the orange-haired fox man, unable to even dare look up at him. A seven-tailed red fox woman with long red hair and green eyes stood in front of them under the tree and asked the man with a smile: 


“Lord Huli Yuehong, do you accept Lady Lutecia De Lapin as your wife for eternity to come?” 


 The fox woman bowed and turned to the shivering little bunny princess who had cast her eyes down: 


“Lady Lutecia De Lapin, do you accept Lord Huli Yuehong as your husband and master for eternity to come?” 


 Everyone watched the rabbit girl. She gulped, and murmured with tears in her eyes: 


 She knew that any different answer would cause a great disaster. 


“Then, under the Tree of Love that blossoms over us,” the fox woman raised her hands towards the pink branches of the cherry blossom tree, “I hereby pronounce you husband and wife! You may kiss each other now.” 


 The bunny princess looked up at the fox man, gazing into his icy cold eyes. She felt shivers run down her spine: 


 Lord Huli faintly smiled, bent down, and landed a soft kiss on her lips. The bunny’s ears straightened from such a sudden kiss, but then the fox finally got off her and she sighed with relief. 


 After the ceremony, the tailed foxes took the rabbit princess away towards their palace, and all of the rabbit servants left forever. Lutecia glanced at them for one last time, let out a heavy sigh of sorrow, and followed her captors into the giant palace. 


 The mansion was red and orange from the outside and golden from the inside. The main hall was vast and at the end of it, there was a giant golden throne – apparently the belonging of Lord Huli. The fox lord quietly ordered something to some tailed fox maidservants. These latter ones took Lutecia and led her away to the upper floors: 


“Follow us, Your Highness – we shall take you to your room.” 


 She was taken to the final floor, through a giant golden door, inside a beautiful golden room with red curtains, a red bed, and orange furniture. 


“We will bring you the dinner to your room.” 


 The servants left and closed the door behind them. Just as she finally found herself alone, the poor bunny fell onto the bed and began crying for her misery. Mother had warned her that she’d be fine as long as she avoided foxes, and here she was, wedded to one – the strongest and the most pitiless fox ever known to the world! 


 Her sobs could vaguely be heard from the red blankets...


Chapter 27: The Bunny Bride and the Tailed Fox Groom