The Mir Chronicles- The Complete Series

by Leisa Wallace

  "It's no use calling your Defenses. They won't hear you," Lena said looking up at the box. Her voice came out magnified over the speakers. "You're surrounded, Selene. You have lost."

  Suki landed beside her and Gideon, followed by Tarek, Druinn,and Myri.

  Birdee limped from the crowd with Tern loyally by her side.

  Remiah and Dessa joined them.

  Ruddy walked from the crowd of prisoners. His face was full of defiance and pride.

  Selene placed her hand on the headband. "Gideon, kill the girl," she ordered.

  Gideon glared at Selene. "If you haven't noticed, you no longer control me. I will not be killing anybody."

  Selene ripped the band off her head and slammed it into Ras' chest. "Fix it," she screamed.

  Ras took the band from her hand. "The band isn't the problem" he said. "The girl has countered the device."

  Selene found Lucius still standing at the edge of the arena. "Lucius, kill the girl," Selene ordered. "I will make you General, if you succeed."

  Lucius slowly sauntered into the arena and stopped in front of Selene. "Did I forget to tell you? I'm not working with you," he said.

  He joined Lena and the rest of them.

  "It is over, Selene," Lena said. "You're surrounded. Surrender."

  "No," Selene screeched. "This is an insurrection. You will all be killed." She whirled on the remaining council members. "Get rid of them," she ordered jabbing a finger at the Rise. "Or your families, that I have protected, will all die."

  A shadow fell across the arena as an airship hovered, then landed in its center. The Divitian crest was painted on its side.

  "Thora," Lena said squeezing Gideon's hand. She breathed a sigh of relief. "She came."

  Thora stepped out of her airship followed by Divitian troops.

  Selene's face paled.

  "I'm here to declare war on Mir," Thora said. "For your crimes against Divitia, as well as crimes against my nephew, Gideon Merak. A Divitian prince." She smirked.

  Divitian Soldiers spread themselves around the arena. Their guns pointed at the weaponless Defense soldiers.

  Selene's chest was rising and falling rapidly.

  Ras whispered something in her ear and Selene nodded and began lowering her box to the ground.

  Everything seemed to happen all at once.

  Ras pulled a cylinder from his pocket and threw it directly at Lena.

  Gideon shoved Lena to the ground.

  Suki dropped to the ground beside her, as Tarek jumped on top of them both.

  The cylinder exploded. The sound was deafening. Red-hot flames engulfed them.

  Tarek was still on top of her. Through the smoke, Lena saw the silhouettes of Selene and Ras running away.

  Lena pushed Tarek's limp body off of her and into arms of Suki.

  Gideon grabbed her hand and pulled her into a run. In the background, she heard Suki's screams and sobs for Tarek to wake up.

  "She's getting away." Gideon said pulling her faster.

  "No, she's not," Lena said tugging on Gideon's hand to slow him down.

  Divitian soldiers mixed with members of the Rise formed a tight circle around Selene and Ras.

  Selene grabbed Ras' arm. "Do something.”

  "There is nothing more you can do," Gideon said leading Lena closer to her. "You have lost."

  "You think this is over," Selene said, her icy glare shooting daggers at Lena. "This is only a scuffle. I am ruler of Mir. And you will not get away with this."

  "No," Lena said beckoning the soldiers to create a gap. She faced Selene. "We did get away with it. We have won. You can't hurt the people we love. You can't control them. You can't torture them. And you certainly can't rule them. Ever again."

  "All I have to do is destroy you and I will rule once more."

  Lena raised her eyebrows. "Are you still talking about that Prophecy? The offspring of your greatest threat to power will grow to overthrow you. You must find and destroy this enemy to ensure your lasting reign," Lena quoted. "Look around, Selene. Look at the Rise. You spent so much time thinking I was your greatest threat to power. But I wasn't. It was all of us. And you might destroy me, but your reign will alway be threatened. Because we are all the offspring of those who fought against you."

  "You don't know who you're dealing with," Ras snarled beside her.

  "I may not know all the details of you or the Viceret's involvement." Lena looked to the sky. Another ship flew over the arena. Lena grinned. "But I don't have to know it all. The IM can figure it out."

  The IM ship landed on the outside of the arena.

  Thora came to stand in front of her sister. "Mir is going to fall under martial law, while my claims against you can be verified. Which they certainly will be."

  "No," Selene gasped. She looked like a caged animal.

  The IM filled the arena pointing their guns at both the Defenses, the Rise and the Divitians.

  "Lower your weapons," Lena called to the Rise. "We have won!"

  The Rise dropped their weapons as the IM took charge. Divitians also dropped their weapons.

  The crowd sat in their floating boxes with dumbfounded expressions.

  Lena saw a man who could only be Tarek's dad enter the arena then immediately run to his son's side. He fell to the ground as he called to the medics.

  Lena moved to join him, but Gideon gently tugged her back. "You don't want to see," he whispered. His face was pale and he had tears in the corners of his eyes.

  Medics immediately responded. Tarek's unmoving body was lifted onto a stretcher and taken into the Interplanetary ship. Suki and his father trailed after them.

  IM soldiers cuffed Selene and Ras. "You will pay for this," she said to Lena and Gideon as the soldiers pushed her towards the airship.

  "You're wrong, mother," Gideon said. He wrapped his arm around Lena's waist as they watched Selene walk away.

  When Selene was out of sight, Lena turned to face Gideon.

  His arms tightened around her waist she could feel his breath on her lips. "Eves, you did it," he whispered.

  "We did it," Lena said. "Thank you for not killing me," she said with a smile.

  Gideon chuckled then looked at her with such admiration she felt tears sting her eyes. He cupped the side of her face. "I love you, Evangeline Adhara.”

  "And I love you, Gideon Merak." Lena melted into his embrace and lost herself in his kisses.

  A throat cleared next to them.

  Lena pulled away.

  Thora eyed them with amusement "Are you two finished?" she said sternly, then smirked. She wrapped them both in a hug. "Ah, my children," she said kissing both their cheeks. "My Angel and my Warrior. Together you did it."

  Lena couldn't help but blush and laugh and hug Thora back. "We couldn't have done it without you," she said.

  Another soldier came to stand in front of Thora. He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, your majesty," he said holding the cuffs up. "But since you attacked another world, you are also under arrest."

  Thora pulled away from Lena and Gideon. Taking their hands, she gave them one last squeeze. "I may by arrested but only until my claims are proven correct," Thora stated, shooing the cuffs away. "I will come with you on my own."

  The soldier gave her a respectful nod and beckoned her to the IM airship.

  Thora raised her head and walked regally to the awaiting prison.

  Lena and Gideon watched as the shocked crowd dispersed. The air buzzed with a mixture of grief and celebration as they walked away.

  The sun was beginning to fall. Gideon led Lena to the edge of the crag. They sat down, with their legs hanging over the edge. Soon they were joined by Myri and Driunn. Then, Dessa and her loyal brother Remiah. Bates and Ollie saw them and came and sat with their legs hanging over the edge.

  Suki walked from the ship, her eyes wet with tears. "He's alive," was all she said as she sat on the ground next to them. No one asked anything more. From her face, it didn't look good.

 
They all silently stared at stars emerging above them, their bright reds and purples swirling in the sky.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  2 months later

  Everleigh

  Lena felt Gideon's hands tighten over her eyes. "Oh, are we starting this game again?" she said feeling the warmth of his chest pressed against her back.

  Gideon responded with a stifled laugh and tightened his grip over her eyes.

  Lena smiled. "Just remember how it ended last time." Spinning out of Gideon's hold, she punched him squarely in the chest.

  The people working around them chuckled and paused their work to watch.

  "Hey," Gideon said tripping backwards into the crowd. "That hurt."

  Lena shrugged and took a fighting stance. "Don't start a fight, if you don't want to get hurt," she said grinning at him.

  "That," Gideon said grabbing her hand, "is a rule I can live by." He spun her into him and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I surrender."

  Lena blushed. "If only all fights could be that easy," she said taking his hand and leading him across the town square.

  "From now on, they will be," Gideon responded looking around the square. "Cleanup seems to be going well." He gave her hand a squeeze. "I'll be right back," he said before running to help a man lift a broken block off their pathway.

  The malnourished man gave Gideon a warm smile.

  Lena didn't need to ask to know he had come from the crags. They all looked the same. Their skin sagged on their thin frames. Yet they were all grateful for the home Everleigh would provide and for the work it gave them too.

  Lena looked around the square and her heart filled with gratitude. "I hope they all choose to remain here after Everleigh is rebuilt," she said looking at the mix of people scattered over the courtyard.

  "I think they will," Gideon said. "Everleigh is a good place to be. And now families have been reunited, anything will be better than living in the caverns."

  Lena laughed. "I have to say, I won't miss it much."

  "Are you going to miss the citadel?"

  Lena looked to her citadel home. "The citadel was never my family's to begin with," she said. "It belongs to the people and the one who leads them.”

  "So you're saying it's going to belong to Suki?" Gideon said raising his eyebrows then turning to where Suki was organizing her Zoons into campaign committees.

  Lena grinned. "We can only hope that the people see what a great leader she is already and vote for her. But I'm not sure if the citadel will be inhabitable by the time of the elections."

  Suki turned to them and smiled.

  "She's cared for more people on Mir than most people will ever know," Gideon said.

  "People will know," Lena said. "She's touched so many lives, the stories of her will spread." She reached her hands to her hair, brushing away the thin wisps blowing against her face into her eyes. "Everyone looks so happy, Gid. I hope it stays this way forever," she said. She felt a joy inside her she didn't realize she'd forgotten. Things felt incredibly right.

  Gideon was staring at her, smiling slightly. "Things are incredibly right," he said echoing her thoughts.

  Suki meandered over to the pair. "Lena. Gideon," Suki said perching casually on the side of the destroyed fountain. She flipped her hair so that Lena could see the scars running down the side of her skull. "I have your vote, right?"

  Lena burst out in laughter. "Of course you do. Who do you think I'd give it to?"

  Suki shrugged. "Just making sure your loyalties haven't changed. Which reminds me, did you hear Lucius is running for representative of Celano?"

  Lena's eyes widened. "No way," she said.

  "I know," Suki replied. "I thought for sure he'd go all the way for President of Mir. But it makes sense he doesn't want to compete against me."

  "I don't blame him," Lena said.

  "You know," Suki said turning serious, "if you would run, I'd step down."

  "No, thank you," Lena said. "You are better suited for the job than I am. Plus there are a million other things I'd rather do than lead a world."

  "It can't be much harder than saving a world," Gideon said.

  Lena shook her head and closed her eyes, concentrating on the sounds of people laughing and the warm sun on her skin. She opened her eyes and gave them all a smile. "I wasn't alone. You all were at my side, the whole time.”

  "Look, there's Tarek's ship," Gideon said pointing to an airship landing at the edge of the city. "I wonder what he's doing here."

  Lena turned to look at Suki who grinned as Tarek exited and limped towards them.

  "How is Tarek doing today?" Lena asked her smitten friend.

  "Stars, he good," Suki said. "I mean, who else could make a fake leg look so stylish. It's a good thing the doctors at The Port were able to care for him, otherwise I'm not sure his face would have ever recovered."

  "Suki," Lena reprimanded.

  Suki rolled her eyes. "Kidding. Kind of," she said watching him with an expression of admiration and love.

  As Tarek approached he put his hand on the small of Suki's back and kissed her cheek.

  "Hey look. There's Birdee and Tern," Suki said turning her head towards the lake.

  "What are they doing here?" Lena asked looking at her friends approaching them. She turned to see Tarek give Suki a knowing nod. "What have you two done?" she asked studying the two. She turned to Gideon who looked just as confused as she did.

  "I have just come from The Port," Tarek said. "Myri and Druinn send their love and are sad they couldn't make it. Myri's pregnancy hasn't been an easy one and traveling makes her sick. Remiah and Dessa also asked to relay their regards."

  "Did Azara say anything?" Suki asked.

  "No. But can you blame her? Because of her involvement in the Rise, she's being investigated for getting people of The Port involved in Selene's overthrow," Tarek said. "She'll get off. But until she's praised for her actions, she isn't going to be handing out salutations."

  "That's no surprise. How is Aaron's trial going?" Lena asked feeling slightly guilty for not checking up on it herself.

  "As well as can be expected for someone who's assassinated a king," Tarek answered. "Remiah and Dessa are at their father's trial everyday. They are hopeful for a merciful sentence, especially with Thora's influence in the courts."

  "I thought Thora had gone home to rule Divitia?" Lena said.

  "She did," Tarek said. "But she is in daily contact with not only Remiah and Dessa, but the courts as well. She provided valuable evidence against Kaghan."

  "Well if anyone can do it," Gideon said, "it's Thora. She's a force to be reckoned with."

  "Are you sure you want to stay with her?" Suki asked. "Once I'm elected, I could sure use your help with rebuilding Mir."

  Gideon and Lena looked at each other. "We're sure," Lena said. "It won't be forever, though."

  "And we'll wait till after we vote to leave," Gideon added.

  "You better," Suki said. "But if not, I could have Evren rig your vote."

  "Suki," Tarek said. "How many times do I have to tell you? You can't rig the election."

  Suki smirked. "As if I'd need to."

  "Lena," another voice called. Lena turned to see Ollie break through the crowd and run towards them. His eyes were bright and wide open. He wrapped his arms around Lena's waist in the biggest hug she thought she'd ever received.

  "What are you doing here? I thought you were with Bates in Arc?" Lena said.

  "I'm here for the party!" Ollie answered.

  "What party?" Lena asked. She turned to Suki who was grinning and then to Tarek who smirked and shrugged his shoulders.

  "Today is Founders Day," Birdee said stepping up beside them. She wrapped Lena in a hug. "Would ya look at yerself? I've never seen ya so happy, Lena.”

  "Yes. Well I just found out we're about to have a party," Lena answered hugging Birdee back. "And that it's Founders Day. I can't believe I forgot."

  "I decided we should celebrate
," Suki said. "Three hundred and fifty four years. I arranged entertainment and had Evren send invitations to everyone. The band is already setting up and the entertainment is almost ready."

  "When you say everyone..." Gideon asked.

  Suki swatted Gideon's shoulder. "I don't mean the entire planet. Just the people nearby, and our friends. It's a much needed celebration," she added. "It will be the best party Mir has ever seen."

  "It better be. I didn't drag myself all the way through the forest ta be here fer a mediocre party," Birdee said with a laugh that filled the square.

  The band began to play from the corner of the courtyard.

  "Come on, Tarek," Suki said taking his hands in hers. "Let's give that new leg a spin around the dance floor." She pulled him into a clear area of the square and began dancing.

  Tern grabbed Birdee's hand and followed after the two.

  Everyone who was working, stopped to watch then immediately set their work aside and joined the celebration.

  "Shall we?" Gideon asked holding his hand out to Lena.

  "I think we shall," Lena said holding her hand out to him.

  Gideon pulled her close and spun them into the dancing crowd.

  "Any word about your father?" Lena asked.

  Gideon pressed his cheek against hers to talk into her ear. "His fate is still being decided in the Interplanetary courts."

  "But they have to be lenient," Lena said. "He was being controlled."

  Gideon sighed. "He followed her of his own accord, for the most part."

  "To protect you," Lena said.

  Gideon shrugged. "The courts will decide. And not until Selene's fate has been decided. They're trying to untangle the web that Selene created on her way to power. A web with so many tangles, it might take years to straighten it all out," he explained. "Having the nullifier deactivate so many council members will help."

  "And how is he feeling?" Lena asked.

  "I talked to him last night. He didn't cough as much. The Port doctors have taken good care of him."

  "I'm glad," Lena said with a sigh of relief.