Once Upon a Star
Anthea Sharp
Once Upon a Star
14 SF-Inspired Faerie Tales
Anthea Sharp
Christine Pope
Kasey MacKenzie
Julia Crane
Alexia Purdy
Nikki Jefford
Evelyn Snow
Kay McSpadden
Julia Crane
Jamie Ferguson
Phaedra Weldon
Sarra Cannon
Jenna Elizabeth Johnson
Shawntelle Madison
Alethea Kontis
Fiddlehead Press
First published February 2019, Fiddlehead Press. All stories copyright ©2019 their respective authors.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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Read more fabulous fairytale retellings from these authors - available in print and digital at all online retailers!
ONCE UPON A CURSE - 17 Dark Faerie Tales
ONCE UPON A KISS - 17 Romantic Faerie Tales
ONCE UPON A QUEST - 15 Tales of Adventure
Contents
About the Stories
Escape: A Liza Roth Adventure - Anthea Sharp
True.love - Alethea Kontis
Blow Your Planet Down - Shawntelle Madison
The Cyrano Solution: A Gaian Consortium Story - Christine Pope
Once You Wish - Evelyn Snow
By the Light of a Distant Star - Jenna Elizabeth Johnson
Vasilisa and the Horse of Power - Jamie Ferguson
Echo - Nikki Jefford
Deadly Dance - Kasey Mackenzie
Through Time and Space: A Little Red Riding Hood Tale - Julia Crane
The Star Dragon’s Curse - Alexia Purdy
Zatarra - Phaedra Weldon
Loxley - Sarra Cannon
Candy House - Kay McSpadden
More Faerie Tale Retellings await…
About the Stories
Escape: A Liza Roth Adventure - Anthea Sharp
A princess on the run and her feline companion find adventure - and danger - on Starhub Station in this story based on the Icelandic fairy tale Kisa the Cat.
True.love - Alethea Kontis
In this futuristic retelling of Sleeping Beauty, a gamer hacktivist tries to take down the world’s largest matchmaking site…and stumbles on a side quest he never bargained for.
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Blow Your Planet Down - Shawntelle Madison
After the Wolverine Horde nearly destroyed her home world, Commander Cressida Van Der Snout is prepared to use the Horde’s greatest weapon to exact her revenge. She wants to bring them to their knees, but a single wolverine stands in the way of both her revenge and her heart.
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The Cyrano Solution: A Gaian Consortium Story - Christine Pope
The daughter of one of Gaia’s richest oligarchs gets more than she bargained for in her new husband in this retelling of “The Frog Prince” (with just a dash of Cyrano de Bergerac for good measure).
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Once you Wish - Evelyn Snow
A con man who loves only what he can steal.
An orphan girl with big dreams.
A prince with something to prove and no fairy godmother to be found…
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By the Light of a Distant Star - Jenna Elizabeth Johnson
When Estrelle’s marriage to Prince Damryn of Kaul is thwarted by a deceitful enemy who steals her identity and leaves her for dead, Estrelle must rely on the kindness of others, and trust the courage within her own heart.
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Vasilisa and the Horse of Power - Jamie Ferguson
Vasilisa finds a feather from the legendary firebird and, against the advice of her horse, takes it to the Tzar in the subterranean enclave their people have lived in for millennia. She hopes to be rewarded, but instead is given a choice between accomplishing an impossible task, or exile—and certain death—in the harsh, storm-swept lands aboveground.
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Echo - Nikki Jefford
Built by a handsome young mechanic, Echo is a cyborg who dreams of experiencing the world as a human in this Pinocchio inspired retelling.
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Deadly Dance - Kasey Mackenzie
Miriana never expected to be murdered repeatedly after refusing an evil prince’s marriage proposal. Now saddled with eleven undead clone-sisters who spy for the murderous prince, she’s going to save the day with her forbidden soldier lover—or die trying - one final time.
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Through Time and Space: A Little Red Riding Hood Tale - Julia Crane
Neither time nor space can keep Little Red and the Big Bad Wolf from crossing paths.
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The Star Dragon’s Curse - Alexia Purdy
Haunted by a malevolent celestial entity, Creedence must discover its connection to the dying forest aboard the decaying space vessel, The Star Dragon.
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Zatarra - Phaedra Weldon
His enemies not only took his life and everything he held dear, they took his humanity as well.
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Loxley - Sarra Cannon
In a dystopian world where citizens
log into The Realm online to escape from their dark reality, one hacker fights to make a difference as she goes in search of a rare artifact.
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Candy House - Kay McSpadden
After the AI of Earth rise up and destroy most of humanity, Hans and Greta survive by living off the grid. That is, until they find a house in the woods that makes them an offer they can’t refuse.
Read more fabulous fairytale retellings from these authors - available in print and digital at all online retailers!
ONCE UPON A CURSE - 17 Dark Faerie Tales
ONCE UPON A KISS - 17 Romantic Faerie Tales
ONCE UPON A QUEST - 15 Tales of Adventure
Escape: A Liza Roth Adventure - Anthea Sharp
The smell of hyperfuel hung in the air as Liza Roth waited to board the shuttle from Turmeric Central to the inner system spaceport. The terminal here was quiet—a way station for luxury cruise liners looking for local color, a stopping place for those craving adventure, but not too much of it.
Starhub Station was where she’d find the rattle and whoosh, the frantic bustle of passengers and crew hurrying between flights. And it was where she’d find her next ship, bound for… well, she wasn’t actually sure where. Just that her time of sanctuary in the Temple of Vishnu was over.
Amethyst-colored eyes looked up at her through the plas-mesh bag she was carrying.
“Mrow,” the cat inside said, as though in agreement that it was time they moved on.
“At least I don’t have to smuggle you under my shirt this time,” Liza agreed. That hadn’t been a comfortable trip—for either of them.
But the priests of Vishnu, in addition to being devout holy men, had some of the best nanotech in the galaxy. Through their connections, they’d procured traveling documents for Shade as a licensed animal companion, with all the required shots and scans.
It helped that Shade was no ordinary cat. Once, she’d been the pet of some pampered lady of Quality. The genetic modification of her feathery wings
—as smoke-colored as the rest of her—was evidence enough of that. Nightshade, as Liza had named her, was a high-class feline.
In addition to papers for Shade, the priests had given Liza several holo-IDs, with identities ranging from scullery maid to mid-level noble. For this trip out, Liza had chosen that of a tourist, one of those slightly eccentric lady travelers who took a notion to jaunt unaccompanied about the star systems.
Well, unaccompanied other than their pets.
She shifted, wishing she’d chosen to travel under a different identity. The woolen walking dress she’d donned for the role of lady adventurer was too hot and scratchy for standing about in the afternoon sun.
The shuttle doors slid open. Liza took one last breath of the dry, spice-scented air and glanced over her shoulder at the tall domes of the Temple of Vishnu. They rose, white and shining, over the dun-colored quarters of the city. Her home for almost a year.
“Thank you,” she said quietly, though she’d already said her goodbyes, and there was no one to hear this last farewell.
When she’d first claimed refuge at the temple, a fugitive from the Galactic Nobility, the priests had set her to earning her keep by sweeping the temple and changing the huge tubs of incense. Later, once she’d stopped looking over her shoulder for bounty hunters or her father’s mercenaries, the priests had asked her to help advise them on political matters.
Wise of them, considering she’d been raised in the top strata of the nobility, in a household full of political machinations. Liza let out a sigh. Not to put too fine a point on it, she had once been a princess.
And then a miner, an itinerant musician, a maid—jobs that let her put food in her mouth, clothes on her back, and stay off the radar of anyone searching for her. She hadn’t expected to become a temple acolyte, but the star winds blew where they may.
The priests had welcomed her to stay longer, but an itchy restlessness had taken hold of her in recent weeks.
“You’re sure there are no bounty hunters waiting to snatch me the moment I set foot outside the temple?” she’d asked the old priest who’d befriended her.
“There is no certainty,” he’d said. “But our intel shows no recent activity on Turmeric Central regarding your whereabouts.”
The implication was clear, however. Once she stepped off the planet, who knew what might be waiting for her?
“I’ll take my chances,” she’d said.
“Hm.” The old man pursed his mouth and looked at her. “Even with six million on your head, and a land grant? You could remain here—your sparring skills need work.”
She’d given him a tight grim. “And earn more bruises from you?”
For such an elderly-seeming fellow, the priest was surprisingly spry. He’d taught her the rudiments of an ancient earth form of martial arts called jujitsu and, while she’d mastered the basics, there was plenty more to learn.
“I can’t stay.” She’d shrugged in apology. “There’s more in the galaxy for me than spending the rest of my life at the Temple of Vishnu. Delightful though it is.”
The lofty, incense-filled main temple held a pervasive sense of peace, and she would always treasure her time there. But the universe called.
In fact, the shuttle was boarding now.
“All passengers, proceed up the ramp,” a tinny voice announced. “Shuttle A-4, en route to Starhub Station. We depart promptly at half past the hour.”
The British Galactic Empire ran on a strict schedule, and woe to anyone running late. Promptness and efficiency were prized, and transports waited for no one. A fact that had enabled Liza to escape from Earth, jumping on a ship at the last possible moment ahead of her pursuers. Even her father’s status as the Duke of Albany and Xersis-9 hadn’t been enough to turn the transport around.
Now, though, she was Mrs. Rothbotham (a silly name, in her opinion, but the priests had chosen her false identities without consulting her) traveling about the system with her feline companion.
The flight attendants waved her aboard, with only a cursory glance at Shade’s carrying case. It was assumed, correctly, that anyone traveling with an animal would ensure said creature provided no disruption—at risk of their pet being confiscated.
Liza wondered how many animals had been taken from their owners, and if they languished in various station holding pens. She told herself they must all be adopted, eventually.
Perhaps my new career is a vigilante animal-rescuer. Although she hardly needed to draw more attention to herself.
As if sensing her thoughts, Shade began to purr loudly. Even when Liza stowed her beneath the seat, the throaty vibration didn’t cease.
“A kitty, is it?” The rotund fellow seated next to her inserted his monocle and leaned forward to look at Shade. “They purr when afraid, don’t you know.”
“Indubitably,” Liza murmured.
No point in arguing with the fellow. He seemed only a few years older than herself, but his pompous air made him seem twice that age.
“Travelled much, miss?” He turned his gaze to her.
The monocle distorted his right eye, making him resemble an inquisitive goldfish. Despite his open expression, Liza felt a stab of distrust. He seemed pleasant enough, but she was wary of too many questions.
“It’s Mrs.,” she informed him primly. “Mrs. Rothbotham.”
He frowned and glanced at her left hand, probably to ascertain whether or not she wore a ring. But Liza’s brown leather travelling gloves were a useful concealment. She folded her hands in her lap and gave him a bland smile.
“Pleasure to meet you.” His curiosity foiled, he dipped his head politely. “I’m Squire Kenwick. And where are you off to, Mrs. Rothbotham?”
“Oh.” She waved her hand airily. “Anywhere of interest, I suppose.”
“Be careful of the jungles of Dedrem,” he said. “The indigenous flora might eat your cat.”
Liza shot him a look. Was the squire teasing her, or had he spoken the worlds in earnest?
“That planet is not on my itinerary,” she said.
As the shuttle lifted from Turmeric Central, she turned to look out the grainy window, the thick plasglass pitted by the impact of tiny space debris. She glimpsed one last flash of white from the temple domes, and then the transport accelerated starward. The pressure pushed her back into the seat. Shade stopped purring.
“We’ll be free of the thrust soon,” the squire said, as though Liza had never set foot on a ship in her life.
She gave him a nod, mentally going through the list of peerage that had been drilled into head when she was younger. The title of Squire Kenwick wasn’t known to her, but then, she’d only needed to memorize the ranks of the upper gentry. Judging from the man’s demeanor and garb he was comfortably well off, but not anyone with clout in the nobility.
The squire narrated the entire trip, pointing out the nearby planets and lecturing her on proper emergency procedures and the location of the suits.
Luckily, it was a short flight.
He patted her arm reassuringly as they descended.
“Once we land, do you need any assistance getting about the station?” he asked.
Liza studied his expression, seeing nothing but a genuine, if misguided, desire to help.
“Thank you,” she said, “but no. I can manage quite well on my own.”
“Very well.” He looked a bit crestfallen. Perhaps he didn’t quite know what to do with himself, either.
The attendants called for everyone to make ready to disembark. The squire donned his bowler hat, and Liza retrieved Shade from her spot beneath the seat. Purple eyes gazed at her reproachfully. It was clear the cat was more than ready to be freed from her carrier.
“Soon,” Liza promised.
“I say!” Squire Kenwick was regarding Shade with a look of surprise. “Your cat has wings.”
“Yes.” Liza didn’t elaborate.
“Can it fly, then, or are they just decorative?”
“She’s capable of fly
ing.” No need to let him know that Shade was as comfortable in the air as she was on the ground.
“I’ve never considered getting a modified pet before,” he said. “But a flying cat, that’s capital. Expensive though, I’d think.”
“Mm. Oh look, the line’s moving.” Liza stepped into the aisle. “Good day, sir. It was a pleasure making your acquaintance.”
“Likewise, likewise.” He doffed his bowler.
It didn’t take long to disembark from the shuttle. Liza kept her pace brisk, giving the appearance that she knew where she was going, and let the throng at the dock absorb her.
The squire caught up to her at the flight schedule holo-board, however. Liza pretended not to notice him standing at her shoulder as she studied the possible flights out. Where would she go? She’d best choose, and soon.
A commotion caught her attention. She glanced over, to see a muscled, hard-faced woman pushing her way through the crowd. Straight toward Liza.
The woman glanced down at her handheld, then back to her, a gleam in her eyes. She gave a single, sharp nod.
Confound it! A bounty hunter—and already on her trail. Heart hammering, Liza took a step back, preparing to flee.
