The Leira Chronicles- The Complete Austin Series

by Martha Carr

  Eireka Berens stepped down from the small platform she had been standing on in front of the full-length mirrors and held out her arms, bent at the elbows. Mara put her hand through one side as Leira came and did the same on the other and the three Berens women made their way outside, together.

  They paused at the back of the aisle, waiting for the music to start and everyone to stand. Leira took the bouquets from the wedding planner and handed the smaller one made of magnolias to her grandmother, and the larger one with trailing green vines to her mother, keeping another smaller one and holding it in front of her waist.

  “Ready?” She looked at her mother, who smiled and kissed her daughter on her cheek. Eireka nodded and Leira gave her arm a gentle squeeze as they set off down the aisle. Toni and Jack were seated together and Turner Underwood was right next to them. All of the regulars were bunched up near the front, waving and cheering, just like they had done at the bar for years. Estelle sat on the aisle, an unlit cigarette dangling in her mouth as she dabbed at her eyes with a tissue.

  Leira saw Correk, standing tall in the front next to Don, dressed in a black tuxedo, his long silver hair hanging down past his shoulders. She smiled at him as Mara looked between the two of them and leaned across her daughter to whisper. “Well, it’s about time.”

  Eireka looked up, surprised and smiled, crinkling her chin. “Thank goodness. I thought you two would never catch on.”

  Leira felt her face warm and whispered out the side of her mouth. “Today is all about you, Mom.”

  “When you’re a parent it’s never completely about you. You’ll see some day.”

  “Okay, enough, we’re almost to your groom. Be the bride for now.”

  They got to the top of the aisle and Leira and Mara took turns hugging Don and Eireka as they stepped back. Leira went and stood next to Correk, taking his hand, grateful he was there. He squeezed her hand and she felt the comfort of his energy surrounding her as she watched Eireka and Don exchange their vows. My family grows a little bigger today. Despite everything, this is another good day. I can take this in.

  Correk leaned over and whispered, “Where’s Yumfuck?”

  Leira smiled, letting out a laugh. “He said he had something he needed to do for Mom. I suppose we’ll find out what that means soon enough.”

  The minister looked up and held his arms out wide, smiling. “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

  Don dipped Eireka backward and said, “I’ve waited a very long time to be able to do this.” He kissed his new wife as the crowd cheered and Leira’s last surprise rose out of all the bushes. Hundreds of butterflies took flight, rising in the sunlight and hovering for a moment over the wedding as the guests looked up in surprise, gasping in amazement. Two white doves came and settled on the front of the trellis, letting out soft coos as the bride and groom, smiled and ran down the aisle, clutching each other’s hand.

  Don and Eireka waited till all the guests were gone before stepping through a portal to the sanctuary in Oriceran to spend their honeymoon. The Gardener of the Dark Forest had set up a cottage deep in the wood away from anything else. Yumfuck had gone ahead and spread the word among all his thousands of siblings and cousins and other related trolls, and they had gotten to work covering the cottage in flowers and lighting the roof with small orbs of light that floated just above the cottage in the moonlight.

  The newly married couple stood at the doorway, shaking as many of the little paws as they could before Yumfuck smiled and waved to his family, signaling it was time to leave. Eireka and Don watched as the trolls quickly faded into the darkness, singing as they went, filling the air with music as they closed the door gently behind them.

  Mara sat outside on the grounds of the twelve-acre ranch looking out over the hill country of Texas. She had taken off her shoes and her feet were propped up in a chair. Correk had gone inside to gather up their things as Leira took a seat next to her grandmother.

  Mara reached out and took her granddaughter’s hand and squeezed it tight, holding her hand to her chest. “Some day you will tell me what has put such sadness in your eyes, even as you have found such joy. It’s okay, you don’t need to protest. I know how you hate to lie, so I won’t press you. You’ll tell me when you’re ready and I’ll listen. Like I’ve always done for you. You know, I watched over you the best I could, even when I was trapped in that ugly place.”

  Leira winced thinking of Ossonia and looking around, wondering if the Light Elf who saved her could see her now. She swallowed hard, digging her nails into her palm. Mara noticed and reached over to open Leira’s hand. “Do your best not to waste the precious time you have with regrets. It helps no one. If you have to make an amends about something, do it by the way you live your life. Make it count, be happy, choose for yourself the way it should look. Trust me, I plan to do the same.”

  “I think I can do that. I love you, Nana.”

  “I know you do, child. I’m going to get going. I’m leaving for Virginia in the morning. Time for a new adventure of my own. Turner Underwood’s school is getting ready to open and I want to be there when it does. After all, I’ll be the new headmistress.”

  “I would have thought parenting me would have knocked the idea of raising a few dozen more right out of you.”

  Mara let out a hoot of laughter and stood up. “Quite the opposite. You have always been the light of my life, along with your mother. I wouldn’t have traded this adventure for anything. Even the bad parts because they all got me to this day. Come here and hug your Nana and promise to visit me often. You’ll love Charlottesville. I’ll teach you how to ride a horse.”

  “No thank you on the horses, but yes on the visits. Thank you for loving me and always setting such a kickass example. You’re not the typical grandmother, you know.”

  “I’m a lot like you, Leira. Full of spit and vinegar mixed with magic. You’ll see that life still has a lot of good in store for you, even as things turn darker. I know some of what happened in Paris.”

  Leira looked down at the ground, shutting her eyes and pressing her hand to her chest.

  “Rumors like that travel fast through the magical community. Can’t be sure what’s fact and what’s fiction, but it doesn’t matter. What’s clear is that the tipping point has been reached. Times have changed. Be careful out there while you try to hold the world together.”

  “I’m not trying to do that. Just do some good when I can with a swearing troll by my side.”

  “And a hunky Light Elf.”

  “That too.”

  “Smart girl. Go give ‘em hell, Leira Berens. Let them know there’s hell to be paid.”

  In full.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  “Is that everything?” Leira looked back at the open door of the guest house. Correk was walking by her with the last of the boxes to the waiting U-Haul parked just in front of the bar. Her magic with parking spots was holding up for one more day. The troll was riding along in Correk’s pocket, wrapped in a new pair of blue panties for the road and the green Mustang was loaded down with snacks for the road trip. Everything was ready.

  “That’s the last of it. Yumfuck and I will be at the car. You go say goodbye to the guest house.” He smiled as he turned and walked toward the gate on the side of the yard. Estelle watched from behind the bar and waved at Correk as he left, a swirl of smoke around her head.

  Leira walked into the guest house and shut the door quietly behind her, standing in the room with the old couch that would still be here if she needed it. The red velvet chair was safely tucked in the U-Haul and was going with them.

  “Thank you for being here for me. Thank you for all the memories you gave me.” She walked to the window and looked out the blinds at the regulars lined up at the bar. They had all already said their goodbyes at a dinner last night. Leira had Estelle’s brisket one last time and had listened as first Michael and then Paul, and Cassidy and Mitzi each made long toasts.

  Leir
a had gotten up and raised her glass to them all. “Thank you for being my family when I didn’t think I had one at all. I love each and every one of you and will take that love with me.”

  Leira turned around and walked through each room, saying goodbye as she walked out the door, leaving it ajar.

  “Leira!” A cheer went up from the regulars as Estelle shrugged and let them do it, one last time. She poured a draft and set it down in front of Craig, waving to Leira as she left by the side gate, shutting it behind her.

  Leira settled down in the front seat as the troll was busy pulling open the bag of Doritos. “You know the rules,” said Leira. “Not till we’re past the city limits. We have hours of driving ahead of us before we stop for the night.”

  Yumfuck looked up and smiled at Leira as he ran a sharp claw down the side, opening a slit in the bag, carefully reaching in and pulling out a chip, sliding it into his open mouth.

  “Fuck it, you’re right. New rules apply. We set our own course now.” Leira started the car and pulled out into traffic. “No more trying to do what everyone else thinks is right.”

  “We’ll figure it out as we go.” Correk cracked the window and sat back. “I told Turner I was setting out on my own as the Fixer.”

  Leira looked over at Correk. “How’d he take that?”

  “He said it was time. Every Fixer makes their own break and eventually has to find their own way.”

  “Louie is already in Georgetown, setting up the command center. He said the equipment was cutting edge. I made him swear he wouldn’t sell off parts of it.”

  “I have to help Perrom.”

  “I know and we will, together. We got someone out of the world in between before. We’ll find a way to do it again.”

  “The dark families are not going to give up, either, especially since their project turned on them. And Lucius is still out there.”

  “Correk, there’s time. We’ll face all of it and figure out the rules as we go.”

  “Rewriting justice… that’s what you called it.”

  “Till we get it right.” Leira drove past the sign, marking the border of Travis County and blew the horn, opening her window and yelling as loud as she could. “Aloha motherfuckers, it’s been real!” She put her arm out the window, making the UT sign for hook ‘em horns as Yumfuck pulled open the Twizzlers, biting off the end. “Yum… fuck…”

  “Road trip!” Correk let out a loud whoop and settled back for the long ride, wondering just what awaited them. The world has changed. I hope we’re ready for it.

  FINIS

  Leira’s Story Continues in Rewriting Justice - The Complete D.C. Series

  Available at Amazon and through Kindle Unlimited

  Leira’s back in town and this time she’s making up the rules.

  This exciting boxed set is filled with the entire Rewriting Justice series! All 4 books in one set. Here's your chance to get the complete D.C. Series starring Leira Berens and her swearing troll.

  Justice Served Cold:

  Leira Berens has split with the Feds and has gone out on her own to save her corner of the world. Magic is on the loose and the werewolves, Elves and Witches are causing trouble. Leira’s working on a new world with her Light Elf by her side and a certain swearing troll.

  There are whispers among the dark Wizarding families that she’s a new kind of bounty hunter. Time to show them how it’s done. They’ll never see her coming.

  Vengeance Served Hot:

  Once a cop, always a cop? Not if they become a bounty hunter...

  Leira Berens, former homicide detective must clean the streets, but this time it is against magic infused folks, shifters and dark wizards. There are no laws on the books to handle this situation.

  So, she is going to help make some.

  With a fireball in one hand and a pair of cuffs in the other, those she hunts can take their pick. A Light Elf and a swearing troll by her side… the world’s got a fighting chance at surviving the return of magic.

  Bounty Hunter Inc.:

  Hey dark wizards, there’s a new law in town.

  Her name is Leira Berens, part Jaspar elf, part human and she’s done playing nice.

  Leira Berens is the world’s first bounty hunter of magical criminals and she likes her job. Elves, gnomes, dark wizards and even a few humans want her to take early retirement…six feet under.

  Good thing she can throw a mean fireball, run toward trouble and is done playing by everyone else’s rules. Magic has returned and a bounty hunter is just what the planet needed.

  Beware The Hunter:

  The hunt is on – but who’s the prey?

  Leira Berens is the government’s newest bounty hunter of magical thugs – the first in the country. That’s not sitting well with a lot of dark magic. Leira, Correk and that troll YTT can see them coming. Too bad they don’t know that’s just the beginning of the story.

  Dark elementals have shown up in our world and no one knows what to do with them, but everyone wants control. Everything Leira has learned will be tested in order to keep the balance between Earth and Oriceran.

  Available at Amazon and through Kindle Unlimited

  Author Notes - Martha Carr

  Written April 10, 2018

  Okay, where to begin. I’m right in the middle of selling a house and buying/building a house. It’s going better than can be expected and I hope to never do it again. A scootch stressful. The new house is bigger, beautiful and has a really amazing office and is close to downtown Austin. In other words, my own little slice of heaven. That’s what happens when good starts rolling your way. Things change… for the better. Still feels like a roller coaster but I’m smart enough to not do it alone. Best part has been taking the ride (the books, the house…) with all of you celebrating right along with me!

  And things are going to keep right on changing, including for Leira and company. If you’ve gotten this far, you know now that she’s FINALLY hooked up with Correk, broken away from working for anyone and has said goodbye to her old life. Ready for the new one. And Leira is doing it the way she does everything else – with open arms on her own terms and believing the solution is out there somewhere and she’s going to find it.

  Weird how my life is synced up with Leira’s except for the fireballs and portals stuff.

  So, what comes next… We’re starting a new series with a new name - Rewriting Justice (Leira 2.0) set in Georgetown, in the nation’s capital and Book 1 - Justice Is Served, will be out in May.

  It’s one year later… Leira is done making nice with everyone else’s rules and covering up inconvenient truths. She’s going to take her newfound powers and put them to use… with her own damn rules. The shifters (think werewolves) are coming out of the shadows and they have a big bad alpha, Lucius at the front of the pack. Can Leira get them to play nice or is that just one more group she will have to fight? She’ll have to find them first.

  The dark Wizarding families have put a target on her back and it can be hard to tell who’s the good guys and who’s out for blood. The government still thinks they should control the shots but Leira can see the old rules just aren’t going to cut it anymore. And then there’s Correk… he’s moved in with Leira and things are sha-bow-wow hot with a strong female Elf taking on the world with a good male Elf who’s got her back. And he’s the new Fixer who’s got his own ideas about how that’s going to work now too.

  But wait! There’s more… (Spent a lot of my childhood watching late night TV… long story)

  I’m also starting two more series with Magic Mike this year – the first one is with Shay, a spinoff from his new series, The Unbelievable Mr. Brownstone. If you’ve read his first book, Feared by Hell, (and you should – a fast, fun ride) you know Shay is a hot, kickass tomb raider who’s been known to solve her problems with a gun. The new series is called I Fear No Evil and Book One – Kill the Willing, will be out May 6th. And then… JUST ONE MORE! The School of Necessary Magic, which brings together Mara Berens and
Allison from ‘Brownstone’ will start soon after that… Whew! The Oriceran Universe comes together – 20 years after Leira.

  So, if you’re keeping track. It’s one dream house in a dream location, and 24 new books with my fave collaborator who helped change my life just because I was the one who stuck around – yeah, that guy… Michael Anderle. I’m telling you, it’s been one helluva ride with more adventures to follow. Now if I can find my own Correk… Hell, every other dream has come true.

  Still planning to hit the road some time this summer after I’ve moved, and visit fans across the country, as well as throwing a few more open houses for our Veterans and Fans. And hang out with the good dog, Lois Lane and the Offspring and the wonderful Katie. It’s a great life and a lot of it is because all of you. Thank you Forever! Buckle Up People!

  Martha

  Author Notes - Michael Anderle

  Written April 11, 2018

  This is my salutation and appreciation for not only reading through our story, but reading through our author notes as well!

  Martha has provided some info about what is happening next, so I will give you a little background on how the future stories came about for Leira.

  One year ago, I wanted to start a separate series called The Unbelievable Mr. Brownstone. I called Martha, she heard I wanted to start a universe, and Oriceran was born.

  Our first Leira book came out on July 31, 2017 exactly one (1) year after she came to a meeting in Austin where I was speaking. Many collaborations and authors later a whole universe has been built, and provides stories about different aspects of Oriceran, Earth, and our joint history.

  However, there haven’t been any other stories besides Martha’s that focus on Earth, the place I wanted to visit.