The Dragon's Gold Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Book 1: The Missing Queen

  Book 2: The Ripple Effect

  Book 3: The Lost Tiro

  Book 4: The Long Journey

  Book 5: The Final Leg

  The Dragon’s Gold

  Exiled Dragons 12

  Sarah J. Stone

  Copyright and Disclaimer

  Copyright © 2017 by Sarah J. Stone

  In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.

  This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is entirely coincidental. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Website: www.sarahjstone.com

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright and Disclaimer

  The Dragon’s Gold

  Witch Academy Box Set

  Special Invitation

  More From The Author

  Chapter 1

  Claire wasn’t quite sure what to do with herself as she sat in her hotel room. She felt so out of her element already. This was her first time in New York since the original interview with Saxon and Bluth.

  She had stayed at an inexpensive hostel near Midtown the first time, but now that she had landed the job, they were putting her up in a much nicer hotel until she could find her own place. Claire was contemplating what to do when her phone rang. she looked at the screen and smiled as she answered. “Hey, Sonja!”

  “Claire! Did you make it to New York okay?”

  “Sure did. Already here and settled into my room.”

  “Room? You can’t stay in your room! You’re in New York. Get out and have some fun!”

  “I wouldn’t even have a clue where to go.”

  “At the least you should go walk around Times Square. You have to, Claire!”

  “I may do that. What are you doing?”

  “Oh, you know, just the usual. Jason is coming over in a bit to watch TV and talk about his car.”

  “You have to get out of that town, Sonja.”

  “You know I want to, but I still has a semester left of school. Maybe I can come there with you when I graduate.”

  “That would be great.”

  “All right. Jason is here, so I’ll let you go. Go have fun!”

  “I’ll try.”

  Claire ended the call and looked out the window of her room. She wasn’t sure where to go. It was a big city, plenty of things to choose from and she had no clue where to start. Finally, Claire decided to take Sonja’s suggestion and just go walk around Times Square. It was cold, so she bundled up and headed out.

  It is true what they say about New York. It never sleeps. After wandering around for a few hours and visiting this shop and that, it was almost two a.m. and there were still throngs of people everywhere. Claire sat on a bench to rest for a moment, the night air chilling her to the bone. She had just spotted a coffee shop nearby when she noticed an older man stop in front of her to take a photo. He was tall and slender, athletic looking. His tailored clothing hung perfectly from his lithe frame and she had to admit that she felt an instant attraction to him. Dismissing the effect he had on her, Claire stood and gathered her small backpack.

  “I’m sorry. Did I disturb you?”

  Claire looked at him, realizing he was speaking to her. Suddenly, she felt a little flustered and struggled to find her words without looking like a country oaf.

  “No, of course not. I was just going for coffee. It’s a bit chilly out here.”

  “Coffee does sound good. I was headed that way myself.”

  Claire smiled at him and nodded, making her way past and toward the coffee shop as he stopped to snap another photo. She was already in line at the shop when he came in behind her and began speaking again.

  “So, where are you from?”

  “Small place. Pulaski, Tennessee.”

  “Long way from home then.”

  “Yes, a bit.”

  The clerk called her up to take her order and she was glad for the distraction. Claire was inexperienced with men and this one made her nervous for some reason. Rather than return to the conversation after she got her coffee, she merely nodded at him and left, intent upon returning to her room. Instead, Claire found herselfgoing back to the bench, her eyes drifting toward the doors of the coffee shop from time to time to see if he came out.

  A few minutes later, he did and right when Claire was looking that way. She found herself petrified as their eyes locked and he smiled. Damn. He had caught her looking for him. So much for being subtle. She pretended to look in the other direction as he made his way over to the bench and sat down beside her.

  “So, you going to sit out here in the cold all night?” he asked.

  “No. I thought I might go to the rooftop bar in the hotel I’m staying in for a bit before I crash. How about you?”

  “That sounds like a good idea to me. How about I walk with you and buy you something a little stronger than coffee?”

  “I, um, sure.”

  “Good. Lead the way.”

  Chapter 2

  They walked toward her hotel, making small talk as they strolled the five or six blocks in the now freezing cold. Claire wasn’t sure if it was the chill or her anxiety that send a shiver running through her. They made their way to the top floor in the elevator and then up the short flight of stairs leading to the rooftop bar. It was packed with people even at this hour of the morning. There wasn’t a table in sight.

  “Looks like standing room only.”

  “Hold on. I can fix that,” he said with a wink.

  Claire watched as he walked away, speaking to a security type person who nodded at him. A moment later, he motioned toward her and she found herself following him and the other guy toward a small table near the edge of the roof. She looked over the cobalt glass that lined the edge at the incredible view of the city below.

  “What would you like to drink?”

  “Wine would be great.”

  “Nothing stronger?”

  “No, just a house red would be good.”

  He ordered drinks for both of them and turned back to her.

  “So, tell her more about yourself,” he said with a slow smile that revealed
a row of perfect white teeth. Claire found herself mesmerized for a moment. In her mind, she was imagining them sinking into the flesh of her shoulder as he took her from behind. A flush spread up her face at the thought and she was glad he couldn’t read her mind.

  “Where are you from?” Claire asked, realizing she had told him where she was from, but hadn’t asked him.

  “What makes you think I’m not from here?”

  “I don’t know. You were at Times Square in the middle of the night taking photos. I assumed you were a tourist.”

  “Only tourists can admire Times Square then?”

  “I don’t know. I suppose not. I guess I just assumed locals didn’t really hang out there and take photos. My mistake. So, what do you do for work here then?”

  “You know what, let’s not talk about work. I thought we could just get to know one another.”

  His words were accompanied by his leaning over the table a bit to take in quite an eyeful of her cleavage.

  “Okay. What would you like to talk about then?”

  “I don’t know. How about you tell me what you like to do for fun?”

  Just the way he said the words made the question sound more than a bit seductive or was she just imagining it? Claire answered the question, opening the door to a free flow of conversation that could have been between old friends. It was if she had known him forever and could tell him anything. Before she knew it, they had already made their way through their first round of drinks. He motioned the waiter over for another round and then turned his attention back to her

  “So, do you have a name?”

  His eyes were a brilliant blue that twinkled when he spoke. Was that possible? Could eyes really twinkle or was it just the wine already playing tricks on her?

  “My name is Claire. And yours?”

  “Harper.”

  “Have you always lived in New York, Harper?”

  “Yes. I grew up in Brooklyn, but live over on the Upper West Side now.”

  “You must really like it here then.”

  “I certainly do. The city has been good to me,: he replied.

  “Hopefully, it will be good to me, too.”

  “I’m sure it will be. Beautiful girl like yourself is bound to be a success.”

  “I don’t know about all that, but I plan to give it my best shot. I’m very nervous. I start a new job tomorrow,” Claire told him

  “I’m sure you will do great.”

  “Thanks. I guess we will see.”

  “I have a feeling you’ll do just great,” he repeated.

  Claire studied his face for a moment, taking in how handsome he truly was. She wasn’t usually attracted to older men, but something about him really drew her in and she found herself feeling more than a bit forward. Now, on her third glass of wine, Claire felt a bit bold.

  “Look, how about we stop talking now? What if I were to suggest that we just finish off our drinks and get out of here?” Her words were full of suggestion and Claire knew she risked the chance that he would think she was too brazen, perhaps even a hooker if she kept acting like one, but she was in a new city and freed from her small-town values.

  Big city, big girl. Time to live a bit. It’s not like she would ever have to see him again, Claire thought to herself.

  “Bartender, we need to pay our tab,” he called out to a nearby server.

  Claire suddenly realized she hadn’t thought this all the way through. He could be a serial killer or worse…married. For a moment, she almost backed down, but looking into his intense blue eyes, she changed her mind. A night of debauchery was just what Claire needed. She watched as he paid the tab with a platinum credit card, proving that he was either successful at whatever he did for a living or a thief.

  “My room is downstairs,” she said.

  “Would be damned hard for it to be upstairs.”

  Claire laughed nervously as he slid off his stool and put his hat back on, completing a picture so sexy that she immediately forgot any reservations she might be having. She took his hand as he offered it and they made their way to the stairwell that led down to the top floor, catching the elevator to her floor.

  What was she doing? She barely knew this man, but she was on her way to with him to her hotel room to do unspeakable things. A little twinge of excitement wove itself quickly into her second thoughts, sending them on their fleeting way.

  Chapter 3

  “Well, here we are,” Claire said. Her voiced cracked with the words as the unlocked the door and motioned for him to come in.

  “This is a pretty nice room.”

  His hands slid across the marble countertop near him as he spoke. Claire immediately envisioned those large, but delicate, hands sliding along her skin and felt a chill pass through her.

  “Yes. My new job put me up here until I can find my own place. Would you like another drink? There’s a full bar in the suite.”

  He had taken off his hat again and was running his long, sinewy fingers through his tousled sandy hair. Claire didn’t notice any nervousness on his part and wondered if he always picked up women in Times Square when he got bored or lonely. Though she’d like to think he was just mesmerized by her and couldn’t resist, there was a good chance that he did this often.

  “No, I’m fine.”

  A tingle ran down her spine as he stood in the center of the room with his gorgeous head cocked to one side, looking at her. It was now or never. If she didn’t go through with this, she would back out and just end up sitting in this palatial room alone, fretting over her first day of work tomorrow. Instead, why not spend a hot night with a stranger? It was time to get this party started. Claire slipped out of her heels as he watched and then walked toward him seductively.

  “See anything you like, Harper?”

  Her voice was a purr as Claire tossed all her reservations aside and went for what she had brought him here for. A piece of this tall, sexy creature in front of her was just what she needed.

  “I see a lot that I like, but that’s not what I came here for.”

  His hand found a small remote on the table beside him and he pushed a button, the cool sound of blues music suddenly filling the room. It wasn’t what Claire would have expected from a guy who accepted an invite to a woman’s room, but she had a feeling this one was full of surprises. Claire couldn’t help but think that she could get used to someone like him. Too bad that wasn’t an option.

  “What did you come here for then?” Leave it to her to try to have a hot one-night stand and pick up the one guy that wasn’t willing. This was hardly what she had in mind when she brought him back here, talking.

  “I thought it might be easier to kick back and talk here than it was in that loud, pretentious bar. Even on the roof, where you would think the sound would carry off into the night, it was damned noisy.” His face conveyed his disdain and she couldn’t say he was wrong in his assessment.

  “Okay, then. Tell her more about yourself. I think I will have another drink. Are you sure you don’t want one?”

  “Sure, I will take one. Scotch and soda will do fine.”

  “Coming right up.” Claire walked over to the mini bar, making a note to herself to go down and pay cash for whatever they drank so that it didn’t end up on the company tab and make her look like some sort of lush buying booze on their dime. She had no idea how to mix a drink, so she just did the best she could and hoped it was right.

  Claire felt a bit relieved that he didn’t want to spring into sex. It wasn’t like her at all to jump into bed with some guy she just met, so he was saving her from herself without even realizing it. She finished mixing their drinks, handing him one and taking her own toward the large curtains on one side of the room. Claire pulled them back to expose a gorgeous terrace and amazing view.

  “So, you like living here in New York? You must, if you’ve always lived here,” Claire remarked.

  “I do love it here. It’s always exciting. There is always a place to go, a party, lots of fri
ends to hang out with. You never have to be alone. I’m not afraid to admit that his city is my first love,”

  “Don’t you sometimes want to be alone?” Claire turned back toward him as she asked the question.

  “No, not really. I like being surrounded by people.”

  Claire wondered if she would get to that point. She had friends back home, but none here. It was exactly the environment in which she would thrive, she though. Always something to do, always something to see. Deep down, she knew that she would love to be able to feel comfortable being alone, but she never had. Unless she was surrounded by people, she felt a bit lost. Claire could see how this city might suit her once she got used to it.

  Stepping out onto the terrace, they looked around at all the lights of the city around them. It was nice for a few minutes, but the chill quickly overtook them and ended their continued conversation. They stepped back inside to refresh their drinks and continue talking.

  Before long a few more drinks had passed and Claire found herself telling him her deepest secrets as if he were an old friend. What difference did it make? Claire would probably never see him again anyway. Wobbling across the carpeted hotel room, her heel caught on something and threw her forward. Fortunately, he was standing right in front of her to catch her in his arms.

  “Well, hello there,” he said. He looked down at her as she flew against him unexpectedly. Claire was certain that her face was red with embarrassment and perhaps from a bit too much to drink.

  “I… I don’t know what happened,” Claire mumbled, glancing around for what she had tripped over and seeing nothing.

  “Me, either, but now that you are here…” His lips were suddenly on hers in a heated kiss. Claire felt like her entire being was on fire as his tongue explored her mouth lazily his large hands caressed her skin. She remembered that this is what she had brought him here for and she regretted that they had wasted so much time talking instead of getting down to business.

  Then again, Claire was grateful that he hadn’t taken advantage of the situation too soon. Her hazy mind was filled with confusion about everything but how much she was enjoying the way he was kissing her right now.

  He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bed, laughing as we went. Sitting her down by the bed, he told her he would be right back. Claire struggled to get undressed before his return, but was having a hard time getting out of her panties while maintaining her balance. After a couple of attempts, she gave up slipping out of them and instead grabbed a handful of the delicate material, ripping them free and discarding them to one side.