Ascension Saga, Book 9: Interstellar Brides®: Ascension Saga

by Goodwin, Grace

  Their queen.

  I was so proud of her. I always had been, the woman I’d always looked up to, listened to. Sure, we’d argued, fought. She hadn’t liked it when I’d pierced my own ears at eleven—after I’d thrown up in the bathtub because I had a needle in my ear and realized I hadn’t liked it either. She’d driven me to karate class after Jiu Jitsu class after Tae Kwon Do class without complaint. She’d even rolled her eyes but bit her lip when I’d dyed my hair purple.

  But that was all nothing. Just… stuff. Mom offered love unconditionally. Was fiercely protective. Brave. Kind. Ruthless. And not just to me, Faith and Trinity. Not with Dad either. She was all those things for an entire planet.

  She’d fled to Earth not to save herself, but to save the baby she’d carried. To save the next ruler of Alera. She’d spent our entire lives preparing all of us to one day return to Alera, but I doubted she’d ever imagined it would be like this.

  God, the mess… all of it, had proven our blood bond was so strong. Royals or not, we were a family. And growing. Trinity, Faith and I now had mates. Not just husbands, but pretty much DNA chosen males that belonged to us. They were ours and we were theirs.

  Just as Mom and Dad were mates. True loves. I’d seen it all my life, but never understood the depth of it until now. Until Nix.

  What Dad had done to protect Mom… it made me weepy. And I was never weepy.

  And now, Mom stood before the citadel, inside the invisible barrier but before her people, in her white flowing gown, the royal necklace about her neck. She’d gone within just a little while ago to the place the jewels had been waiting all these years and retrieved them. She didn’t look like the woman I knew who went to the corner store in Snoopy pajamas to pick up milk and eggs. She looked… like the fucking queen.

  The crowd before her cheered, chanted her name. Celene, Celene, Celene. So did those who watched this moment from afar, from the most distant corners of the planet. To those on other planets as well. Leaders like Prime Nial from Prillon Prime had spoken with her, welcomed her return. She smiled, waved, indulged. Some had waited twenty-seven years for this moment, for their beloved queen to return. Some had never seen her before, except in images.

  Trinity, Faith and I stood outside the perimeter, our mates behind us, as we, too, waited. This was Mom’s moment. All of Alera’s moment.

  “Did I mention how beautiful you look?” Nix murmured. His breath fanned my neck and I reached back, grabbed his hand. I flushed from head to toe at his words, at the deep tone. He’d helped me dress, then helped me undress as he showed me just how much he liked what he saw. Then, after the quickie that had left me wilted and very, very sated, he’d fastened the small buttons up the back of my purple dress.

  I gave a slight nod as I looked over my shoulder at him. From afar, everyone would see him so handsome in his uniform, in his military bearing, yet his eyes held heat and love just for me.

  Mom held up her hands and the crowd instantly fell silent. She smiled brilliantly and nodded, as if giving thanks for their attention.

  “My Alerans, we have all waited for this day, for this moment to arrive. I have dreamed of returning to you, to lead once again. You were never far from my thoughts. While I lived on Earth, a planet so far from here, know that your blood, Aleran blood, flowed through my veins and not a day went by that I did not think about you, my people, my home.”

  Wow, Mom had helped me with my English papers in high school, but sheesh, she’d downplayed her skills.

  “These past few weeks, you have heard rumors. You have heard lies. Yesterday, I shared the truth. I am sure you have heard it by now through every news feed, read it for yourself. Know that every word came from my pen, from my hand. I will not go over all of the details, salacious, cruel and sad as they may be. I can’t speak for those who have died. I can’t hope to understand or explain their motives and intentions.”

  She paused, let all of that sink in.

  “I would like to take a moment now to honor those who have given their lives in protection of me and Alera. Nothing I can say will match the depth of my gratitude for the sacrifice that was made, or for each individual’s integrity. Whether they fought to free me, or are, even now, out there somewhere fighting the Hive menace, they are true Alerans, every one.”

  Mom lifted her hand and wiped at the corner of her eye.

  Nix squeezed my hand again. He’d been one of those men. Him and Leo. They’d gone out and served in the Coalition Fleet. I couldn’t begin to fathom how many friends he’d lost, or how many people had died hiding the truth about my mother.

  After a minute of silence, Mom smiled once again. “It is time to formally introduce you to my family.” Mom looked to Dad, who stood beside Captain Turaya and Pawl across from us. It was like we were at a wedding, bridesmaids on one side, groomsmen on the other.

  Mom walked through the invisible barrier where many had died in their attempt to take all she was born with. She walked over to Dad, took his hand and moved so they were front and center for the entire world to see.

  “My people, this is my mate, Adam, Lord Cray. I met him on Earth, but he, too, is a true Aleran. He protected me, cherished me and saved me just as a mate should. He left the planet all those years ago to watch over me, to belong to me as I did to him. On Alera, he was born as Lord Buchan Adamos Cray. Since our mating, he has, unknown by everyone, been your king. King Adam.”

  Dad smiled lifted their joined hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles. The crowd went wild.

  I’d read what Mom had sent to the media, a thorough yet simple outline of… everything. King Mykel’s betrayal, Radella, Pawl. The plan to kill Mom and take over the throne. Her escape. Lord Wyse’s long desire to have Radella rule, the kidnapping and attempted murder of Trinity. Dad’s arrival and his ridiculously alpha male plan to protect his mate. All of it.

  The truth had been shared. It was out. The true traitors were now a part of history, to learn from and never repeat.

  “The Herakles legacy continues with my daughters. Trinity, Faith and Destiny.”

  Mom looked to us, curled her finger so we would join her. I didn’t release Nix’s hand as we went, stood in a line beside Mom and Dad.

  “I have been gone a long time. In the few short weeks my daughters have been on the planet, they have become worthy princesses. Princess Trinity has ruled in my place and you have embraced her. She is a worthy future queen.”

  Again, the crowd cheered. Trinity smiled and waved her hand like the Queen of England on the balcony at Buckingham Palace.

  Mom looked to Dad, who nodded, before she gazed out at her people. “My spire has been lit while I have been gone. Your hearts have held me well. But I am the past… and Trinity is the future. That future is now.”

  Trinity stared at Mom, wide-eyed.

  Oh shit. This was like the time Mom told us she had a surprise for us. We’d waited on the couch, all three of us side by side, and held our breaths. Of course, then, it was to say we were going to Disney World for spring break. Yeah, I had a feeling we weren’t going off on a family vacation.

  “I, Queen Celene Herakles of Alera, do hereby relinquish the throne to my heir and successor, Trinity Herakles, your new queen.”

  A gasp came from Faith. Trinity said, “Mom!” and the entire crowd started murmuring. This was huge. Like… holy shit huge.

  Mom came over, stood before Trinity. “You’ve proven yourself to me, to the people of Alera. They need you to lead. I stopped being their queen all those years ago. I’ve just been their hope. They’ve been waiting for you.”

  Tears streamed down Trinity’s cheeks as she hugged Mom. They stood like that for what seemed like a full minute. Mom was stepping down as queen? She just got back! But Trinity had been leading the planet. She had been raised to ultimately take over. And Dad had done everything he could to make sure she was ready. Law school. Debate club. Ethics and philosophy and all that fucking talking. I loved hitting and kicking and playing. Trin? She r
eally was born for this.

  What Mom had said was true. She’d been gone for so long. Her spire had been the hope the planet needed to keep going during her absence. And now, they didn’t need Mom anymore. They needed a queen and duh, that was soooo Trinity.

  Nix wrapped an arm about my waist and I leaned into him. He was my anchor, and I knew no matter what happened, no matter how things changed, he would be there.

  Leo took Trinity’s elbow and had her step back. He leaned down and whispered something to her, something no one could hear. As she wiped her face, she nodded, then nodded again.

  When he was done, he kissed her temple.

  Then she turned to Mom, lifted her chin, rolled her shoulders back and nodded.

  “Come,” Mom said to Trinity and started walking back toward the citadel, once again back in full royal mode. God, the two of them had that down pat.

  I could barely walk in my long dress and yet the two of them appeared to be floating. I had no idea what Mom was up to… some things Aleran she’d never mentioned to us growing up. I glanced at Dad, who smiled indulgently. He’d grown up on Alera, left Alera when he was about my age. But he knew what was happening. I had no doubt Mom had talked with Dad, worked it out with him.

  The barrier accepted them both.

  In front of the large doors, they stopped and turned to face everyone once again. The crowd fell silent. Not even a baby cried or a bird chirped. Nothing. It was possible the wind ceased to blow just for this moment.

  Mom reached up behind her neck and undid the clasp on the necklace. She moved to stand behind Trinity and put it about her neck, fastened it and moved back beside her.

  No one said a word. I held my breath.

  Mom looked up at the pale glow of the citadel, the spires. It was dusk now, the sky almost black, but Mom and Trinity were easily seen in the brightness. So were we, even outside the barrier.

  As one, everyone tilted their faces up just as their queen did. One last time, they followed her silent command to look, to watch.

  Slowly, the white glow changed, grew darker. Within seconds, the citadel was bathed in a royal blue—god, no pun intended—and the spires, the four that were lit, changed from bright white to cobalt beacons in the night.

  It was stunning. Beautiful. Like something out of a fairy tale.

  Magic. It felt like magic.

  The silence was thick, as if everyone present couldn’t believe their eyes and didn’t know how to react.

  Nearby, Captain Turaya hugged Leo’s mother close, a contented smile on his face. When he caught me looking, be beamed. “Your grandmother’s spires were a pale green, like buds of fresh grass in spring.”

  “You’re such a poet, my love.” Leo’s mother was cute. There was no other word for the petite woman, or the way she looked up at her mate like he was her sun and stars. No wonder Leo turned out to be a keeper.

  Mom turned to the crowd and I tore my gaze from Leo’s parents. I didn’t want to miss this, whatever this was.

  “The ascension is complete. The citadel recognizes the new queen.” And now, she radiated pride, joy, contentment, just as she had at all of our graduations. But this… holy fuck, this, even I was a little weepy. “Alera, welcome Queen Trinity.”

  The roar of the crowd was unlike anything I had ever heard. No football stadium could compare. No rock concert. All of Alera was shouting for joy in this moment.

  They cheered for the past returning, for the present, for the peaceful, beautiful and very traditional hand-off from mother to daughter. They cheered for the future, which looked so bright. And so very blue.

  Trinity and Mom walked back through the barrier to join all of us. Dad was the first to approach them and hugged Trinity fiercely. He might not be her father by blood, but definitely was her father in the heart. That was all that mattered.

  Faith raced over to Trinity and Nix let go of my hand so I could join them. “Did you have any idea?” Faith asked Trinity.

  Trinity shook her head and was beaming, like practically glowing and vibrating with energy. I had to wonder if her reaction was from being stunned or being excited, or if it were the necklace itself. I knew I could hear like a flipping bat by entering the citadel and having my spire light up the sky, but what powers did the necklace hold?

  And what did the auras of an entire crowd look like all at once?

  I’d get the details out of Trinity. But not now. I’d pin her to the ground and pinch her just like when we were young if I had to. I had my ways.

  “Glad it’s you and not me,” I told her when it was my turn to get a hug in. She looked at me and rolled her eyes. We both knew I spoke the truth.

  “You just don’t like wearing dresses,” she replied.

  “And that’s all the excuse I need,” I countered.

  “You must address your people,” Mom interrupted.

  I turned to go to Nix, but he was right there. God, yes. He would always be right there.

  He tugged me a little to the side as Trinity stepped forward, Mom beside her. They were speaking quietly to each other, but I was more interested in Nix.

  “You’re happy for your sister?” he asked.

  I frowned. “Of course.”

  “Jealous?”

  My mouth fell open. “God, no. She can have that necklace and all the crazy power that goes with it. I just want you.”

  “I wonder what Leo’s opinion of this will be. He was not ready to be king. Trinity will need more protection now.”

  “She’ll be fine. She’s strong.” I swiped the air. “He can handle it. God, King Leo. That’s insane.”

  “And Princess Destiny is not?”

  I shrugged as I thought of it. “I am okay with that. Mom raised us to someday be right here, just like this. I never envisioned it quite like this. Never imagined Mom would hand off being queen to Trinity. Actually, I always thought of it like the end of Star Wars where Princess Leia gave medals to Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Chewbacca.”

  Nix frowned. “I do not know that princess.”

  I laughed then. “I will have to introduce you to her. Tonight, when we are alone.”

  His eyebrows went up. “Is she kinky?”

  My mouth fell open at the idea of Princess Leia being into wild sex. “No, but I am.”

  He grinned. “Yes, you are. Later, my princess. Later I will bow down before you.”

  I went up on my tiptoes and whispered in his ear. “As long as you bow down between my thighs.”

  He growled just as the crowd went silent. His arm banded about my waist and he pulled me back against him. I wasn’t sure if it were to hold me close or hide his erection from the entire planet.

  “My fellow Alerans,” Trinity said, repeating how Mom had started her speech. “I am not as eloquent as my mother, nor as wise, but I promise with time and hard work, to earn your respect and your trust. I am proud to be an Aleran. Proud to be here with my sisters, my parents, and my newfound brother.”

  Trinity looked to Pawl, who stood beside Captain Turaya. After what he’d been through, he was content to stay in the shadows, as much as could be for being part of the royal family. The captain had worked out a deal with the Optimus Unit and Pawl’s testimony was being used to lock away the survivors of the building blast. In exchange, he had been offered a post in training under High Cleric Amandine’s supervision. I had no doubt the older woman was up to the task.

  Nix’s cock was pressed to my back. So hot. So distracting. And Queen Trinity was still talking. Talking. Talking. “I am now your queen, but I am also a mate. You may look to me in times of joy, in times of difficulty, but I look to Leoron Turaya in those same moments.”

  Trinity looked to Leo with all the love I knew she had in her. She held out her hand and Leo strode to her, took it. “I am not the queen without my mate, without my love. Without King Leoron.”

  She held up their joined hands and again, the crowd went wild. Leo looked to Trinity with the powerful bearing of an insanely alpha male. Pr
otective, bossy and above all, loving. He leaned down and kissed her… the Queen of Alera. In front of everyone. He liked to stake his claim on her and he’d done it. The ultimate claiming.

  Captain Turaya beamed. He’d been there through it all. Helping Mom to escape, helping to find her when she’d been kidnapped, and ending the almost thirty-year discourse that could have destroyed the planet. And now his son was king. He may have protected the queen, but little did he know that he’d raised a future king.

  I looked to Faith, who was leaning against Thor. She was smiling, at peace. The calm one… or so we’d thought. But now, she could live her life with Thor, make all those babies she’d always wanted. The man of her dreams was beside her, their future wide open before them.

  And then there was Mom. Dad was whispering in her ear and she was nodding. Both of them looked content. At peace. And finally, completely together. No secrets. Nothing but forever.

  Mom looked my way, winked. She gave the shooing motion with her fingers and Dad followed the motion. He brought his fingers to his lips and sent it my way.

  I was loved all around. Peace reigned on Alera, and in our lives.

  Tipping my head up, I looked to Nix. “Get me out of here,” I said.

  Nix bowed. “As you wish, Princess Destiny. Your wish is my command.”

  I went up on tiptoe again, whispered in his ear, told him my wish.

  His eyes widened and filled with intense heat. A wicked grin spread across his face. He took my hand in his and tugged me away from the crowd. I didn’t know exactly where we were headed, but it didn’t matter. I had Nix and he had me.

  The world was ours. We were rich as Midas. Royal.

  Hell, the entire universe was ours.

  But I didn’t care about any of that. I already had the only thing I’d ever really wanted for myself—Nix’s heart.

  The Ascension Saga

  Thank you for joining me on this exciting journey in the Interstellar Brides® universe.

  TRINITY

  Book 1

  Book 2