Risa's Destiny Read online

  Risa’s Destiny

  Dragon Valley’s Lady

  Rachel Starkie

  Copyright

  Copyright © 2020 by Rachel Starkie

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Cover Design: Averi Hope Designs

  Editor: Phoenix Pen

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  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

  Epilogue

  A Note From the Author

  About the Author

  Acknowledgments

  My friends and family, my betas and all the authors who have helped me along the way as well as Averi for making my amazing cover and of course Phoenix Pen for your amazing editing hehe

  Chapter One

  Sighing, Risa Nightshade slowly made her way down the long, stone road. Her house was on top of a hill just outside the village of Springwell. She did not want to go to the village, but she had to. It was the main way she could make the money she needed to live. The village may have been where she grew up, but it was not her home. Her home was far, far away. She was born in Dragon Valley but moved here as a child, and now, she was stuck here, unless something big happened. She looked to the hills, which ran around the outskirts of the village. It always made Risa think of a well. Her gaze drifted to the path which led to the higher cliffs, hoping to see the Hermit walking down to the village below.

  The Hermit worked for The Dragon—the monster that kept this village safe. Risa was in love with the Hermit. Not only had he saved her life twice before, but he was kind, sweet, loving and...hot. Risa could go on and on about him, how he filled her dreams, and her every thought. He was everything she could want in a man; however, she had little hope of ever belonging to him. After all, she looked nothing like the other girls in the village. Where they were small and cute, she was tall and lean. She was 5’8” and had long, blue-black hair that went to her hips. Her eyes, an ice blue, made people think of an ice block. She was called ‘The Ice Queen’ by most of the guys in the village. The girls in Springwell were almost all blond or light brunette, with brown eyes and were all under 5’4”. She was clearly not human, with cat ears, that popped out of the top of her hair, a long, black tail swinging from side to side behind her and eyes that shifted when she was mad.

  Risa glanced back at Springwell, a small village, run by an asshole. The villagers hated Risa and her father, who were a being called a 'Changeling.' Changelings and other paranormal beings were not the norms for the people of Springwell. Unknown to the village, she was a Level Three changeling. This meant she was able to change into three other forms, besides her human one. So far, all her forms turned out to be cats; Her father would mainly use his cat form. She found life easier in a feline’s mind; it was fun playing around, jumping and climbing. The color of her fur in shifter form matched her black cat ears. Others of her kind could change into different beings. Her dad was a Level five, and he was a mixed-shifter, which meant he did not stick to one species. His main form was a cat, but he also had a wolf and a bird form. She was unsure of the rest, as she was still young when he was killed. She shook her head as she headed down the road. As the village came into view, she pulled her hood over her head to hide her ears. She did not like hiding who she was, but it was easier. This way, she would not have to worry about someone grabbing her ears. Her tail was hidden from view behind her cloak, which she had moved over her shoulders as she walked.

  Risa looked around the village. Buildings were placed here and there with no real mapping; it was as if the builders just did not care and wanted to get as many in as they could, wherever they could. She walked on until she arrived in front of a small shop. She unlocked the door and went inside. Sighing, she shut the door and took her cloak off. This place was her haven. Here, she was safe. The only other place she felt safe was at home. She walked to the back of the shop and sat down. The bench before her was filled with cloth, beads and other bits and bobs. Risa smiled and picked up a doll she had been working on the night before. She went back to fitting the outfit, and soon she had a lovely doll with blond hair, black beady eyes, and a pink dress. She got up and moved to the front again and placed the doll alongside the others. Her shop was a toy shop. A small one, but she loved it. Making toys was something to keep her busy, and it made her happy, bringing joy to the village children. She went about cleaning and sorting. Before long the door opened, and a small girl ran in giggling. “Mummy, Mummy, I want this dolly,” she said, looking back to the woman who walked in behind her.

  Risa turned to the woman who was giving her a cold look. Risa was not well-liked in the village; this reaction was nothing new, and she was used to it by now. Risa looked back to the girl who was picking up a cat-shaped doll and rushing to her mum. “Please, Mummy?” she begged softly. The mother walked over, tossed Risa the money and then left without saying one word. Risa sighed and picked the money up from where it had landed. Before long, the girl was helping too. “Sorry, Miss Risa, I love my new dolly,” she whispered as she handed Risa the money.

  “Enjoy your new doll, Kelly. I know you will give her a good home.” She smiled kindly before saying goodbye, watching the girl run out. This happened a lot. The kids all loved Risa, but their parents hated her. She could not wait to leave one day. Risa did not know where she wanted to go. Maybe to the valley where she was born. But that held dark memories, which meant that going back there would be hard. Risa got back to work, and before she knew it, the sun was going down.

  She packed up and left the shop. Locking up, she made sure everything was set. She turned around to head home and then stopped upon seeing who was standing around, watching her. She really should have seen it coming; they did this a lot. With a deep huff, she looked at the five men who had planted themselves outside her shop.

  “Well, well, well. Look at the little kitty cat,” purred one of the men.

  Risa just looked him up and down, her eyes cold and hard. “Hello, Ben, may I help you?” she asked, trying to keep her voice calm and under control.

  “Yea, you can help me,” he said, licking his lips. Ben was the son of the village mayor. Their family descended from the founding family of the village. This meant he thought he could do as he liked, and whom he liked. He never did like that Risa would not warm his bed. As if she would give him her first time. She was saving it for someone who loved her. Her eyes moved back to the man in front of her. He was tall and handsome; she would admit that even if just to herself. Hell, they had once been friends. But now? Well, now, she did not know what they were. If they were alone, he was kind to her, like the old times. However, if his friends were around, like now, he was an asshole. She did not know what side to believe. “Look, Risa, why don’t you just give in? Marry me, and then, you will be welcome here—no more pain. No mor
e being alone,” he said, moving closer. Then, speaking softly, so only she heard. “I can keep you safe.” He looked up at her, his deep brown eyes watching. She ran her gaze over him. He was 6’1” with a lean but strong body. He had bright red hair, which looked like flames when the sun hit it right.

  She looked at him and smirked. “And why would I marry you? One day, I will leave this place. Then, and only then, will I be happy and safe,” she growled, making the other guys back away. Risa’s eyes had become cat-like slits, showing her anger. She pushed past Ben and walked off. She heard Ben growl and hit the wall—a bad habit of his. “Come on, guys, leave it. She will be mine one day,” he said from behind her, his voice hard. “And then, I will taste that changeling,” he said, laughing as he walked off. Risa just rolled her eyes. Who did he think he was, a cat after the cream or something?

  As Risa walked, she looked to the hills, her mind so deep in a daydream that she did not pay attention to the things around her. Before she knew it, she found herself grabbed and slammed into a wall. She gasped, and her eyes shot to one of the men from town. “Get off me,” she growled, her voice deep, hard and cold. He laughed. “Oh, come on, little kitty cat. Don’t worry,” he cooed at her, holding her close. Risa eyed him. She did not want to shift if she could help it. The village already hated her; if they knew she could shift her form, they would not only hate her but also fear her. The village did not know that changelings could shift their forms. They only knew they had animal features and that they were stronger and faster than a normal human. “I said let me go,” she warned. Pete laughed again and grabbed her hands, pinning them above her head. “Now, let’s see if what Benny boy said was true. Are you a virgin, kitty cat?” he purred. Risa was about to shift when a voice behind the man-made her blink.

  “I believe she doesn't want you touching her. You would not want me to tell The Dragon that the men of this village are trying to force themselves on the women now, would you?” The voice was smooth and mocking. Pete jumped, spinning to look at the hermit, he keeps his grip on Risa tight. Risa's eyes went over to the Hermit. He was 6’4” and had silver hair, which stopped just above his shoulders. His eyes looked to Risa then; they were almost white with a hint of blue. To Risa, they were real ice blue, unlike her own. She always loved them, even if others thought they were cold. She watched as he moved closer. Hidden under his cloak, it was hard to see just how strong he was, but one could tell he had strength from the way he moved. It was impossible to tell what his body shape was, whether he was lean or if he had ropes of hard muscle. He moved with an inhuman grace, which made people watch. “Look, Hermit, stay out of this. This has nothing to do with you and the Great Dragon,” Pete said, fear in his voice. Everyone knew better than to mess with the Great Dragon or his Hermit. The Hermit just smiled slowly. Risa shivered. That was one scary smile.

  “As I said, she doesn't want you to touch her, so...” He walked over and pulled the man away, pulling Risa behind him at the same time. Risa almost fainted there and then. He was touching her. She could not believe it. “So, move on now,” the hermit said lightly.

  The guy growled and walked away. Risa watched him. He would be back. He was evil, and yet, no one saw it, but the women he hurt, and none of them would dare speak out against him because of fear.

  Risa turned to the Hermit. “Thank you, Sir. That was very kind of you,” she said, bowing her head slightly. She felt his hand, land on her head, and she had to fight to stop purring. “Risa be careful, or something you cannot stop may happen one day, and I will not be there to save you,” he said with a soft smile and then walked off.

  Risa watched him leave and sighed softly. “Man, that man is fine,” she said as she watched him head to the gates of the village. Wait, did he just trip? It had only been a small movement, but she was sure he had. Did he hear her? She blushed at the thought.

  No way...

  She shook her head softly. Clearly, he tripped. He was a man, after all—human at that. At least she wanted to believe he was. So, that must be it. She sighed and walked away. No way he would want her; after all, he could have the pick of any girl in the village. She was told more than once by both the men and women of the village, she was not what men were looking for. She headed back home, wishing, just for once, her time in the village was simple. Walking back up the long, stone road, she thought about the two guys. One she wanted, who did not want her, and the other, who wanted to save her like a damsel in distress. She smirked. Risa was no damsel. She was a wild cat.

  Chapter Two

  The next day, Risa walked outside her house, hands on her hips; she had the day off as it was the weekend, which meant she did not need to go into town. She was so happy right now, as she looked over her small garden. She was about to get a good amount of money, her crops were ready to be picked, and they sold well in town. People may not like her, but they loved the food that grew on her land. She looked back at her two-bedroom house. But what drew the eye most was the burn marks all over the brickwork. She pulled her gaze away and toward the village. The old rage grew inside her as she looked down. Someone in that town was the reason for the burn. She knew it but had never been able to prove it. However, in the end, something good came out of the burn; the soil was enriched, which was the reason her crops grew so well.

  When Risa was ten, she had been out in the hills, something she had been doing from the age of five, when she and her family moved to Springwell. Risa did not know why her mum and dad moved here. She had loved the valley where they’d once lived. But, she took a liking to the hills around her new home too, so when they moved here, she took off. Her mum and dad did not mind. As a changeling, Risa was far older than her years, plus not much could stop a changeling child when she put her mind on something. Risa had walked the hills and come upon The Dragon’s caves; her first view of The Dragon was inside that cave. She had wanted to run in and pet The Dragon. She had seen flames and fire coming at her, but she was not scared; she just wanted to see the dragon, even more, then it stopped. Then there was the Hermit. He had picked her up and carried her away; he had yelled and told her off all the way down the path—about how a girl should not be alone, and how she needed to be more careful. Risa had laughed at him, finding him funny, and she told him so and how she wanted to pet The Dragon. He had been so shocked; he almost dropped her. After all, it was not every day you saw a five-year-old girl who was scared of...well, nothing. After that, Risa tried many times to meet The Dragon, but each time, was stopped by the Hermit, a man she later found out was in a servant contract with The Dragon, which gave him a longer life. Risa’s drive to pet The Dragon, and the Hermit removing her from the cave, went on for years. Back then, she was happy; the town loved her mother, which was nothing new. Her mother was one of those people that just drew you in; everyone loved her instantly. She was cheerful and funny and so kind. They were not as keen on her dad; after all, he was not human, and the village hated non-humans, but they overlooked it. After all, her mother was clearly madly in love with him and would never leave him.

  However, it all changed when Risa was ten, a month after her birthday. She and her mother were meant to go out and pick wildflowers. Her dad was supposed to stay home and work on the garden; but, this time was different. He fell ill, which made it impossible for him to work. Her mum made up her mind to stay with him; so, Risa left by herself. This was nothing new as Risa had been out many times by herself. Risa was out until night, but as she turned home, she saw red in the sky. Getting a bad feeling, she dropped the flowers and raced back home, making her first shift, turning into a large black panther. Rare for a child's first shift, but her drive to get home pushed it. But she was too late. She shifted back and screamed as she watched her house burn. She saw men look up at her as she screamed for her mum and dad while racing to the house.

  She heard cursing and voices saying, “Was Anne inside? She was supposed to be out. Run, RUN.”

  Risa had no time for them as she raced to the door. She grabbe
d it and pulled, burning her hand badly as she did. But, before she could get inside, strong hands grabbed her, and she turned to see the Hermit’s face paling. “Risa, please, you need to come away. It is not safe,” he said softly. “No! Mummy and Daddy are inside. Please, Daddy was ill, I have to save them,” she said, but the Hermit was too strong and pulled her away. Making sure she was safely away from the blaze, he left her to go inside. She did not understand what happened next, but ice formed over the house, blocking her from following; then, just as fast it came, it was gone, taking most of the fire with it. Then, the Hermit was there again, hugging her.

  “I am sorry, Risa,” he said and held her as she kept screaming and then pushed him away. She rushed inside and straight up the stairs. The Hermit tried to stop her but was too slow as she wriggled free, and then squeezed past him. Risa froze in horror at what she saw: two bodies lying on the bedroom floor clearly holding each other. She cried and screamed. A part of her died that day, alongside her mother and father.

  Enraged at what had happened, she had raced out of the house; the blame went to The Great Dragon, who was said to watch over Springwell and the hills; he should have stopped it, he should have saved them. She got to the cave and went to go in, but once again, the Hermit stopped her. She screamed, yelling and cursing The Dragon out; her last words full of hate and a promise to never forgive him. The Hermit rushed her away when she was done. He started to take her home but stopped—clearly, she could not stay there. So, he took her to another cave, a smaller one that was used as his home. The cave was large and had furs placed on the floors and walls. It was amazing how warm the simple touches he had made to everything gave the place the feeling of being home. She took this in as she cried herself to sleep in his arms. When she woke up, he was gone. Not knowing what else to do, she headed home and was shocked to find it cleaned up.