The Passionate Queen (Dark Queens Book 2) (31 page)

Zelena laughed. “Put me down, you brute, you’re making a spectacle of us.”

But there was no heat behind her words, and I couldn’t care less at the moment. I shouldered my way through the crowd, ignoring the jeers and stares of those who’d obviously figured out where I was going.

Druscella ran up to us, right before I could exit the clearing. “My queen,” she gasped, all red-faced, “this is highly improper.”

“Oh stuff it!” Zelena cried then banding her arms tighter around my neck, leaned up and smacked my lips. “Fly us out of here, Ragoth. Maybe to those wonderful cliffs. You know the one.”

I grinned. “The one where I just so happened to leave the tent and all our accouterments at the ready. Oh yes, I know the very ones.”

Druscella wisely choose to keep out of our way after that.

The only time I sat Lena down was so that I could transform. She walked into my large, foreboding, and scaly palm the moment I’d shifted, and lying down upon my hand, rubbed her soft cheek against me.

“Hurry, dragon boy, I don’t think I can wait much longer.”

I’m pretty sure I broke the speed of sound when I flew.

It took several years, but Zelena finally became the queen I always knew she could be, and I had never been prouder. Of all the dragons in all the world, I’d found the greatest treasure of all.

The love of a not-quite-so-evil queen.

Finis

The lands of wonderland thrive beneath the loving hand of their queen and the power of their mighty king...

So I say to you now farewell, dear reader, but do not despair, for I have far greater stories to share of dark queens you thought you knew. Until we meet again...

~Anon, One of the 13 Keepers of the
Tales
.

~*~

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The Harem
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Once upon a time in a Kingdom far, far away lived an author who wrote fairy tale stories who went by the name Marie Hall. That author and this author are one and the same. So if you happen to spy some characters that seem strangely familiar to you, it’s really no coincidence. And if you’d like to read some of Marie’s works, stay tuned for a complete listing of all those books.

The next queen is coming soon, though it’s a mystery who she’ll be. If you want to know, stay tuned to either Jovee Winters’s
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The next queens, in no particular order, are as follows:

The Ice Queen

The Dark Queen (Fable’s Story)

The Fire Queen (Fiera’s Story)

The Magic Queen (Baba Yaga’s story)

J
ovee Winters is the pen name of a
NY Times
and
USA Today
bestselling author who loves books that make you think or feel something, preferably both. She’s also passionate about fairy tales, particularly twisting them up into a story you’ve never thought could be possible.

She's married to the love of her life, a sexy beast of a caveman who likes to refer to himself as Big Hunk. She has two awesome kids she likes to call Thing 1 and Thing 2, loves cooking, and occasionally has been known to crochet. She also really loves talking about herself in the third person.

Her Mad Hatter (Free everywhere! Book 1, based on Alice and the Mad Hatter)

Gerard’s Beauty (Book 2, based on Beauty and the Beast)

Red and Her Wolf (Book 3, based on Little Red Riding Hood)

The Kingdom Collection (Books 1–3, with bonus deleted scenes)

Jinni’s Wish (Book 4, based on Arabian Nights)

Hook’s Pan (Book 5, Based on Peter Pan)

Danika’s Surprise (Book 5.5, novelette and first introduction to the upcoming Dark Princess Series)

Kingdom Chronicles (Books 4 & 5, and includes Danika’s Surprise)

Moon’s Flower (Book 6, based on the legend of the Man in the Moon)

Huntsman’s Prey (Book 7, spinoff Dark Princess Series)

Rumpel’s Prize (Book 8, loosely based on the legend of Rumpelstiltskin and Beauty and the Beast)

Hood’s Obsession (Book 9)

Her One Wish (Book 10)

A Pirate’s Dream (Book 11)