The Centaur Queen (The Dark Queens #7)
Jovee Winters
The Centaur Queen
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The race to save Kingdom is on, and the unlikeliest of heroes have been tasked with discovering the key to salvaging all of fairy tales’ happily ever afters...
Tymanon is a centauress without a home or even many friends. But that's just how this shy, intelligent female likes it, until three capricious gods pair her up with a satyr in the infamous "love games" that are anything but.
Petra isn’t her happily ever after. What nonsense to ever believe a centaur could be happy with a satyr. And yet when he looks at her with those mossy-green eyes, Ty feels things she's never felt before—wonder, joy, and maybe even something more.
But now isn't the time for her to figure out whether she’s in love or not. Tymanon suddenly finds herself on the isle of Gnósi, which is governed by the three Fates. She has three challenges to beat before she can ask the question that will save all of Kingdom. But a terrible sacrifice will have to be made at the end. Love or honor, which will Tymanon choose? Only time will tell...
Author’s Note
The Centaur Queen follows on the heels of The Mad King, which is technically book 1 of the Dark King Saga, however, if you want to read the books in chronological order then I highly recommend you go back and pick that one up first. Also, if you’re unfamiliar with The Fairy Queen or haven’t read it yet, stop everything you’re doing and go back to that book since everything that occurs there affects all future Kingdom books!
The Centaur Queen
Copyright 2017 Jovee Winters
Cover Art by Nathalia Sullen
Formatted by D2D
My super seekrit hangout!
This is a work of fiction. All characters, places, and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons living or dead, events, or places is purely coincidental. Though if you should spot a cute fairy or a lecherous imp, say hi for me.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher, Jovee Winters, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in the context of reviews.
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.
Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Jovee Winters.
Unauthorized or restricted use in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.
The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patent Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.
Published in 2017 by Jovee Winters, United States of America
Chapter 1
Tymanon
Petra and I were tossed violently from the games, as though a large and powerful hand had suddenly yanked us away. Dizzy and disoriented, I frowned as I gazed at the red clay beneath my palms. How had I gotten here? One moment I’d been inside the games, and the next I was here, wherever here was.
Nothing about the games had been normal. Petra and I were trapped inside a world-within-a-world created by the gods for their own warped amusement. A part of me wondered if maybe we’d been thrust into a new challenge without either of us knowing. And yet... I blinked and frowned. And yet there was a niggling thought within me that something had gone terribly awry.
Inhaling deeply, I washed my lungs with the scent of dirt and pine. Getting shakily to my feet, I dusted off my hindquarters and turned to look for my traveling companion. Petra was a few yards behind me, and he too was dusting himself off, wearing the same quizzical frown that I no doubt still wore. I wasn’t often at a loss to describe what was happening around me, but I was without answers right now. Shoving thick strands of hair out of my eyes, I studied our surroundings.
Just a few minutes ago, Petra and I had been discussing the next challenger we were set to face—Fiera, elemental goddess of the eternal fires. We weren’t supposed to duel until tomorrow, though. Perhaps the gods had fooled us yet again, and we were supposed to duel right now. Readying my bow, heart racing, I studied the landscape, expecting to see Fiera standing off to the side, fireball in hand.
But the goddess was nowhere to be seen. Instead there were trees, hundreds of them. We were in a grove of towering behemoths whose branches kissed the sky. I turned in a circle, doubting what I was seeing.
This was Kingdom.
We were back in Kingdom.
“How the blue blazes...” I mumbled. I walked to the first tree and laid my hand against its corrugated bark, scratching at its woodsy thickness with my nail. There was nothing unusual about it. It wasn’t sentient and it didn’t sing or talk, which meant we weren’t in Wonderland. However, the trunks were a shade of deepest brown with large swaths of colorful streaks running down them. Riffling through the catalogue in my brain, I quickly came to the conclusion that these trees—more specifically the eritque arcus lingo—were exclusively native to the western region of Kingdom.
“Bloody hell,” I murmured. We really were out of the games. Mouth gaping in shock, I shook my head. This made no sense. I had many questions, but no one to ask. So instead, I made note of the facts.