Dark Queen: The Crystal Kingdom: Clean and Sweet Read online

  Dark Queen

  The Crystal Kingdom: Clean and Sweet

  Milly Taiden

  M. Taiden

  Latin Goddess, Press, Inc.

  Contents

  Dark Queen

  A Note From Milly

  Attention Readers

  About the Book

  Prologue

  1. Jen

  2. Jen

  3. Jen

  4. Hyz

  5. Jen

  6. Hyz

  7. Jen

  8. Hyz

  9. Jen

  10. Hyz

  11. Jen

  12. Hyz

  13. Hyz

  14. Jen

  15. Hyz

  16. Jen

  17. Jen

  18. Hyz

  19. Jen

  20. Hyz

  21. Jen

  22. Hyz

  23. Jen

  24. Jen

  25. Hyz

  26. Jen

  27. Hyz

  28. Jen

  Epilogue

  The Crystal Kingdom Series

  About the Author

  Also by Milly Taiden

  Also by Milly Taiden

  Also by Milly Taiden

  Also by Milly Taiden

  Also by Milly Taiden

  Also by Milly Taiden

  Also by Milly Taiden

  Also by Milly Taiden

  Also by Milly Taiden

  Also by Milly Taiden

  Also by Milly Taiden

  Dark Queen

  THE CRYSTAL KINGDOM

  NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

  MILLY TAIDEN

  Writing as

  M. TAIDEN

  A Note From Milly

  This is a CLEAN and SWEET version of The Crystal Kingdom Series.

  If you’ve read the adult versions (Fae King, Elf King, Dark King and Fire King) then you don’t need to read this.

  This version is for younger audiences that would enjoy a clean and sweet fantasy series.

  You might be asking yourself why I did that and the answer is simple. I have a teen boy who would like to read my books and share them with his friends. He likes fantasy and I decided to have a young adult version of the Crystal Kingdom for them.

  If you have read the adult version, there is no need to read this one. I appreciate your support, but I don’t want you to feel I’m putting out the same book twice.

  Thank you for your understanding.

  Milly

  Attention Readers

  If this is your first time picking up one of my books and are a clean and sweet reader, please know I am working diligently to have more of my books available to you.

  For now, I ask that you stick to the Crystal Kingdom and sign up for my newsletter to know when new books are out.

  Look for the Clean and Sweet sticker on my covers for these types of books.

  Thank you!

  Milly

  About the Book

  Hyz Frazuld

  I’m on a quest. I need to know if the rumors of impending war are true. My plans come to halt when I witness the most beautiful woman on the planet, fighting off a horde of goblins. She seems capable enough of holding her own, but I have to save her. That’s what heroes do. And I need to know more about this unique girl. My saber-toothed tiger wants her for a mate and that’s a whole other problem. She’s not the girl for me. I must wait for the woman with the glowing rock.

  Jennifer Foxray

  I’m a top rated MMA fighter. When I find myself kidnapped and brought into another dimension, my skills are an asset. I can kick butt. Arrows whizzing past my head? No problem. I’ll still kick major goblin booty. I can take care of myself and save my friends. I don’t need a man to save me. Nope. Not even if he’s cute enough to melt my resistance.

  It’s a good thing I don’t do relationships, because my rock isn’t glowing at the moment. Plus, my two best friends need to be found and Hyz’s world has to be saved. And really, who has time for all this emotional stuff when there’s butt to kick and a battle to destroy the evil creatures trying to take control of Crystal Kingdom?

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are fictitious or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real in any way. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Published By

  Latin Goddess Press

  Winter Springs, FL 32708

  http://millytaiden.com

  Dark Queen

  Copyright © 2019 by Milly Taiden

  Edited by: Tina Winograd

  Cover: Jacqueline Sweet

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Property of Milly Taiden

  August 2019

  Created with Vellum

  —For my son, Aiden

  Jenn kicks butt just like you do! Enjoy!

  Prologue

  Jen

  Aiden is the cutest, I texted as I walked along the sidewalk on my way home after school. A vehicle passed by, spitting out black smoke from its rear. I coughed and waved a hand in front of my face. “Get it fixed, dude.”

  No, Colt is, my friend sent back. You’re so lame.

  I grunted, typing on the phone. No, you’re the lame-butt, I replied. Honestly, how could Colt, with a buzz haircut, be as hunky?

  I heard younger kids hollering at the small playground in the park. I glanced up and noticed the polluting van had stopped further up along the sidewalk. At least it wasn’t poisoning the air anymore.

  Attention back on my phone, I typed, Aiden will be a freshman next year.

  Oh, please, we’ll be in 8th grade. Big whoop, my phone’s screen displayed.

  As I passed the white van, the side-door slid open. I automatically stepped to the side to give room to the person getting out. A body did move, but not in the way I expected.

  Instead of stepping onto the sidewalk next to me, a hand shot out and wrapped around my upper arm. My body jerked to the side and I screamed. The phone fell from my hands as my feet dragged over the concrete.

  I swung my arms, trying to hit any part of the would-be-abductor. My shoe made contact with the masked man’s leg and he growled, releasing my arm. I pushed away. My head snapped forward when my backpack was yanked toward the van.

  My skull slammed against the floor, sending my world into a tailspin. Cold metal clamped around my wrist. My stomach roiled and I swallowed back my lunch as the van started and screeched away.

  I rolled sideways but stopped when my arm stretched as far as it would go. I pulled my knees under me, then smashed onto my side when the vehicle made a sharp turn. Sliding across the slick floor, I crashed into the wall, bashing my elbow.

  Pain shot up my arm, sobering my confused state. The windows were heavily tinted, making it impossible for me to make out the details of my surroundings. There wasn’t much to see. The man’s deep voice hollered out and high-pitched sirens grew louder by the second. I almost cried, thinking gratefully that one of the mothers from the park must’ve called the police immediately.

  My own mother would be so mad at me. I knew I wasn’t supposed to be on my phone unless talking to one of my parents. Now I understood why. Had I been paying attention, I might not have been captured. I’d never make that mistake again.

  With a sudden yank, my shoulder pulled out of the socket at the same time a wrenching and tearing of metal f
illed my ears. The van didn’t move. As I lay on the hard floor, the smell of acrid smoke tickled my nose. Fire. Something was on fire nearby.

  Bright light spilled into my eyes, blinding me. Hands rolled my body, and I was released from whatever had me tied down. I was scooped up, supported under my knees and shoulder blades. My head hung back painfully, and my dislocated arm flopped freely as I and my rescuer bounced with each footstep.

  A loud explosion roared around me, but I was distanced from further pain. I was laid onto a soft surface and my head rolled to the side. Between several police cars, my eyes focused on a mangled and twisted white lump engulfed in a blaze.

  “You’re going to be okay, honey.”

  I looked toward the sweet voice. A woman in a police uniform took my hand and squeezed. Instead of a smile that I expected, I was greeted with a frown.

  The police officer continued. “You’re lucky. You need to learn to defend yourself.” I saw the pain and fear in the officer’s eyes from whatever the lady’s past held. “Only you can take care of you.”

  1

  Jen

  I glanced over my shoulder, making sure no one followed me. I hadn’t been back in town all that long and my paranoia was at an all-time high. Passing by Cookie’s 24-Hour Diner, where Kaia worked, I peered inside looking for my friend. I didn’t expect to see her since she usually worked the morning or afternoon shift.

  Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly, telling myself I was fine. I’d kick the butt of any man who got close enough. I’d walked out of the gym five minutes earlier and had ten more until I reached my apartment.

  Against my parents’ advice, I’d moved back to my childhood hometown. My family had moved away when I’d been in high school. After leaving behind my friends, Kaia and Avery, my psychological bAidence had declined to the point where I was afraid to be alone, nearly afraid of my own shadow.

  Around the corner, half a block away, an older man, fifty-ish, walked into my path. Stepping off the sidewalk, I jaywalked to the other side of the street. At the intersection, I heard a short, female scream. In a parking lot, I saw a young lady trying to get away from a large male. In my training clothes, I took off toward the couple.

  Moments of my own abduction ten years before flashed in my head. I hadn’t been ready then, but I was now.

  The man covered the female’s mouth with a hand and dragged her toward a brown van. The old white van smashed into a blaze came to mind. I wouldn’t let another person be taken.

  Coming up on the guy from behind, I punched his back right in the kidney. He staggered a step, dropping his victim. “Run!” I screamed, sizing up the man turning to me. Son of a gun, he was big. Muscles bulged from both biceps.

  “What the…” he started, giving me a ticked-off look. I would’ve laughed if I hadn’t been tripping out on adrenaline and terror. I swung an uppercut, grazing his jaw as he dodged me.

  Without thinking, my leg shot forward, making harsh contact with his midsection. The man bent in half. I sprang into the air, my other leg coming around to slap the top of my sneaker against the side of the man’s face. He launched sideways to the ground.

  I hit the asphalt on hands and knees, barely feeling the tiny gravel under me. The male rolled into a vehicle’s tire.

  The woman screamed again, racing toward me. I leapt to my feet, wondering why the lady was still there. She should’ve been halfway to the police station by now. The woman shouted, “Stop! Don’t hurt him!”

  I froze, not understanding the words my ears heard. Stop? The lady had reached me, and I grabbed her arms, trying to drag us both away to safety. But the female fought me, still screaming for me to stop.

  “It’s not real,” the stranger finally said. “Leave him alone.”

  I dropped my hold. “What?” I managed.

  The man climbed to his feet, his hand cupping his face. “It’s role play,” he mumbled.

  My body shuddered, completely astounded. My face must’ve had a confused expression because the woman continued to explain. “Foreplay,” she hollered, “this gets him—”

  I threw my hands up, stepping back. “I don’t want to know.” After a few more steps, sorry came from me then I turned and hurried toward my apartment.

  Slamming the front door closed behind me, I leaned against it. My breaths tore in and out of me. My mind bounced between ten years ago and ten minutes ago. My hands began to shake and I squeezed them together. In the kitchen, I slapped cold water on my burning face.

  I’d never had a boyfriend or a boy-friend—couldn’t trust them—so it was no wonder I had zero idea that kind of thing existed. I wasn’t a prude but anything out of the norm was out of my realm of experience.

  Ripping a paper towel from the thin roll, I patted my face and plopped on a stool. In my pocket, the cell phone rang. I unzipped the jacket, took out my mobile and pressed the answer icon.

  “Hey, Mom.” I schlepped into the bathroom and turned the shower on. Took the stupid thing forever to get hot water.

  “How did training go? Did you talk to the owner?” my mother asked.

  I rubbed my forehead. “Yeah. He said he’d sponsor me if I went pro. According to his research,” whatever that entailed, “he said I was too good for amateur competitions.”

  “That’s great, honey,” my mom gushed. It would’ve been if I had wanted to go pro.

  At first, taking self-defense classes when I was a young teen kept my body active while my friends kept me from having a meltdown after my attempted abduction. I’d even tried to teach Kaia and Avery some self-saving tactics. They weren’t bad at picking up the moves. They just were never in a situation where they needed such help, so they weren’t serious about it.

  I was as serious as a heart attack. Soon after moving away from the girls, I found a gym in the big city where they taught advanced defense and martial arts. From there, I dove into training to develop skills good enough for amateur competitions across the U.S.

  Mentally and physically tired, I’d made the decision to come back to the only place I had felt comfortable and happy—with my friends.

  “I don’t know, Mom,” I replied. “I’m not sure that’s the life I want.”

  A sigh came over the phone’s speaker. “Jennifer-girl,” that was the nickname my parents gave me when I was little, “you have to decide for yourself what you want to do. We’ll support you in whatever you want. But it’s up to you.”

  I truly loved my parents, unlike some adult children who only said love out of obligation. They were the only thing holding me back from leaving my secure bedroom in their home. I knew it was time to face the world like an adult and I wanted to do that with the only two people I trusted outside of my mom and dad.

  “I know, Mom. I can’t thank you and Dad enough for being there for me.” And I meant more than just parental responsibilities. For a year after my traumatic event, all of us saw a psychiatrist together, once a week to get through the anger, hate, fear, and PTSD that accompanied such tragedy.

  That brought us closer than most father-mother-daughter relationships. But recently, all that work seemed to be for nothing as those feelings were coming back for me. No matter what I did, no matter how long I meditated, I couldn’t shake the anger related to the male gender.

  “We will always be here for you, Jennifer-girl, even though you’ve grown up,” Mom said. God, stupid tears welled in my eyes. From mad to crying in fourteen words. I was a mess.

  I stepped into the bedroom. “Don’t forget, I’m going camping with Kaia and Avery this weekend. We’re celebrating Kaia’s birthday since we missed it,” I said, stripping off my workout clothes. From my jewelry box, I pulled out the Swiss knife from Avery’s mom and the bracelet my grandmother gave me for my twenty-first birthday. I didn’t want to forget either of those when I packed.

  “I have it on my calendar.” Of course, she did. That was my mom. Orderly to a fault.

  “Okay,” I said. “Shower’s on so I need to go. I’ll call you
when we get back Sunday. Love you.”

  “Love you, too.”

  2

  Jen

  “Remind me again why I agreed to this?” Kaia asked, out of breath.

  “We’ve only been walking for, like, twenty minutes.” I laughed. I had thought my friends were spry enough for this hike, but I hadn’t anticipated how sedentary their lifestyles had become. “You’d be in better shape if you came to the gym with me.”

  “I don’t have money to go to the gym,” Kaia groaned.

  “Oh, please,” I huffed. “I told you I’d pay for your membership.” Amateur MMA fighting could make good money, but the pros were where the fame was. I didn’t want that.

  “You know I don’t like you paying for my stuff,” Kaia said and stopped to lean on a tree. “My legs hurt. Let’s sit for a few.”