All Chapters of The Dragon's Precious Gem: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

A storm raged, turning the cold night into a tempestuous fury.Caelia squinted against the biting gusts and swirling sand as she was dragged toward one of Dunsmore’s outbuildings, a dim, foreboding structure that housed the women he kept. Though his grim encounter with Rose—a girl she’d only just learned the name of—had lasted mere minutes, the memory seared itself into her mind, turning her stomach.The head maid’s grating voice had occasionally broken through the horror, snapping commands like, “Smile, girl!” forcing Rose to tilt the corners of her lips into a grotesque parody of joy. The image of Dunsmore’s bloated body flashed unbidden—his yellowed, peeling skin and wheezing breaths as he clambered onto the trembling girl. His sharp thrusts, his phlegmy grunts, the wet slap of his belly against her. Even now, Caelia fought the bile rising in her throat.Dunsmore, apparently pleased with the twisted scene, had purchased Rose with little more than a handshake, and the two women were

Caelia tensed, her heart pounding as her eyes darted around the room, searching for the source of the impossible power she had just felt. The moment her gaze left the door, the rippling energy she had sensed—alive, poised, and gathering its strength—vanished as if it had never been. She stood frozen, stunned by the brief and potent sensation. Though she had never experienced anything like it, she knew exactly what it was.When Rhyzar performed his miracles, he always did so quietly, his touch subtle, his power restrained. The closest comparison she could conjure was the memory of that mighty black dragon—its presence so immense, its power so consuming that identifying it had been futile, like an ant standing at the base of a mountain, incapable of perceiving its summit. But this? This she could feel, grasp even. It was vast yet familiar, an unyielding force that bent the world to its will. The energy wasn’t unnatural; rather, it belonged to this world and ruled it, as though every ato

The young soldier’s hand hovered near the hilt of his sword, his eyes darting between Caelia and Dunsmore’s lifeless, bloodied body. His breath hitched, the raw shock etched across his face. His fingers twitched, brushing the pommel of his blade as his gaze locked on hers and he readied himself for violence.Caelia’s mind raced. If he drew that sword, everything she had fought for would unravel. She couldn’t let him think long enough to sound the alarm—couldn’t let him rouse servants who might get hurt.“Stop,” she commanded, her voice steady, her tone laced with an authority she didn’t feel. Inside, her heart pounded as if trying to escape her ribcage.The soldier froze. His hand lingered on the hilt, but he didn’t unsheathe it. His jaw tightened, muscles flexing beneath his skin as his expression teetered between defiance and uncertainty.She forced herself to take a deep breath, steadying her trembling hands at her sides. Killing Dunsmore had been necessary—justifiable even—but thi

"Close your eyes if you're not feeling brave." Rhyzar's voice whispered from the darkness, smooth and teasing. Before Caelia could determine whether she had any courage left, she felt a warm presence press against her. Strong arms slid around her back and beneath her knees, lifting her as though she weighed nothing.Then they rose—higher, much higher—far too high for her comfort.A scream tore from her lips as the ground dropped away beneath them. She clung desperately to Rhyzar’s shoulders, her breath hitching as her gaze caught sight of enormous, black, leathery wings unfurling from his back. They moved with powerful, silent beats, propelling them through the air. There was no wind, no sound of their ascent—just a terrifying, unnatural stillness.Caelia’s heart pounded as fear took hold, her nails digging into Rhyzar’s skin. His chest rumbled with a low chuckle."You can close your eyes, my love," he murmured, amusement lacing his tone. "But I don't have the patience to walk right n

The word lingered in her mind—mate. It carried a primal weight that made her head swim, muddled further by the unrelenting ache his touch stirred in her. Every glide of his hands against her skin sent heat spiraling to her core. At least submerged in the water, he wouldn’t see how soaked her underwear had become from more than just the bath.At last, he lowered her leg, leaving her trembling with a desperate yearning for more. When his hands moved higher, peeling her damp underwear from her hips, over her legs, and finally off her feet, the anticipation nearly unraveled her. His strong hands returned to her waist, lathering her beneath the water with a skill that made her want to cry out, yet he cruelly avoided her most sensitive places.“Listen carefully, Caelia,” he said, his voice deep and commanding, his large hands caressing her hips with deliberate ease. “There was once a young woman from a now extinct tribe. She found herself with child against her will. Hating the father and c