Legacy: The Mark of Merlin. Gerald Pruett

arranging for Tanya’s body to be moved to the airport on Monday, in order for Tanya’s body to be sent back to London. Harris had also planned to attend Tanya’s funeral in London, so he had to purchase a round-trip ticket for himself as well.

      Allyson spent her Wednesday and Thursday doing what she could to prepare for Michael’s funeral.

      Ellen helped where she could on both days, but for the most part Harris and Allyson had wanted to involve Ellen with the arrangements as little as possible, which gave Ellen a lot of free time from Tuesday evening to Thursday evening.

      Ellen had used her free time to read as far into the first Legacy volume as she could. She had made a deal with Shannon to read the first three Legacy volumes before picking up the books on incantations, and as to how captivating she found the first volume to be, she found that deal easy to keep.

      When Friday morning came, Ellen ignored the Legacy volumes as she, Harris, Allyson, Avery, Shannon and Jane prepared themselves for Michael’s funeral services.

      The turnout for Michael’s funeral services was better than Ellen imagined. Michael’s friends, some of his co-workers and Tanya’s friends had showed up for it.

      Ellen didn’t prepare a eulogy for the services nor did she want to speak out to the mourners; however, when the clergyman called her up to say a few words, she went with very little coaxing.

      Ellen spoke longer than what she had intended, and when she was done, everyone was surprised to learn that the eulogy she gave wasn’t prepared.

      Once the funeral was concluded at the funeral home, the mourners got into their respective vehicles and went to the cemetery.

      The mourners were there for only a few minutes, listening to the clergyman before Ellen, Harris and Shannon felt the presence of others from Merlin’s descendants. When the three looked, they saw two fifty-year-old men who looked very much alike.

      “Do you…?” Harris was only able to get out as he faced Ellen and saw that Ellen had hurried away towards the two men.

      Harris quickly followed Ellen, and after a slight hesitation, Allyson, Avery, Shannon and Jane had followed as well. The clergyman and the mourners just looked to see where the six were going.

      As Ellen was approaching the two men in half the time it would normally take, Mitchell, Ellen’s biological father, questioned, “How are you doing, Ella?”

      “My name is Ellen, you worthless pig!” she angrily shot at him.

      “Hey-hey now,” Mitchell calmly said. “A little respect for your father.”

      “Father?” Ellen laughed without humor. “I have no father, and neither did Michael.”

      “I know you wish that to be true…” Mitchell was only able to get out.

      “You’re not welcome here!” Ellen shot at him before he could finish. “Now get out and take your friend with you.”

      “He’s your Uncle Brandon,” Mitchell informed.

      “I don’t care who the hell he is; you two aren’t welcome here!” Ellen retorted.

      “Ellen…!” Harris uttered before he was cut off.

      “I want them gone!” Ellen hissed towards Harris.

      “Yes,” Harris agreed. “You’d made that perfectly clear, but this is a big cemetery…”

      “This city isn’t big enough for the both of us!” Ellen shot back.

      “An old American Western had just flashed through my mind,” Avery commented.

      Ellen indifferently glanced at Avery as Harris continued with, “Ellen, today is the time to set aside grudges and for love ones to mourn…”

      “He’s no love one!” Ellen again interrupted with. “He killed my brothers and sister.”

      “That was a tragic accident, Ellen, and I’m truly sorry for what had happened,” Mitchell told her.

      “Save your remorse for Judgment Day!” Ellen shot at him.

      “Yes, well, according to you I’ve been judged and found guilty,” Mitchell said.

      “You are guilty, you prat!” Ellen retorted.

      “Ellen!” Harris uttered to get her attention. When Ellen looked, he continued with, “Ellen, you can be the better person here.” He then glanced towards the staring clergyman and mourners. “And at the moment your brother’s friends are seeing you as not being the better person.”

      Ellen glanced back at the clergyman and mourners for only a second before hissing at Mitchell, “I will never forgive you! Never!”

      “And yet I know you will need me at some point,” Mitchell assured her.

      “You have nothing…” Ellen got out before thinking of something that she wanted to know.

      When Ellen stopped talking, Mitchell chuckled. “See, there’s something you want… already.”

      “All I want is an honest answer from you,” Ellen hissed. Mitchell just gave her a curious look. “What do you know about our family’s Legacy?”

      “Our family’s Legacy?” Mitchell echoed in a confused tone.

      “That’s actually the second time I’d heard those three words together like that,” Brandon added.

      Ellen crossed her arms before asking him, “And when was the first time?”

      “When your father and I…” Brandon stopped talking when he saw Ellen cringing as if his chosen words had stabbed her through the heart. “When Mitchell and I were seven, I found an old letter hidden inside the lining of our grandpa’s old briefcase and I took it to my mom. She read it aloud.”

      When Brandon stopped talking, Ellen asked, “Can you remember what she read?”

      “Hold on,” Brandon said as he was trying to remember. After a brief moment he continued with, “Our family’s Legacy is among the ‘stars’ of Saint Louis.”

      “What does that mean?” Ellen quickly asked.

      “Don’t know, but Saint Louis, Missouri is where our dad and his parents were born,” Brandon said.

      “So I have relatives living in Saint Louis?” Ellen questioned.

      “Not living ones,” Mitchell corrected. Ellen shot him a curious look. “Our grandpa… this is ridiculous. Your great-grandpa had died just after your Uncle Brandon and I turned seven.” Ellen just stared resentfully at Mitchell as he continued with, “But before that, I have a memory of him telling me that your great-grandma and her family were killed—all of them burned alive—just before your great-grandpa and grandpa moved here to Kansas City.”

      Ellen and the others were suddenly drawn to the clergyman and the mourners when the clergyman loudly cleared his throat. Once the clergyman had everyone’s attention, he continued with, “Ms. Anderson… and friends. Should I continue?”

      Ellen glanced at Mitchell and back at the clergyman before nodding. Ellen then casually walked back to join the mourners. The others followed suit.

      Once everyone was focused on the clergyman again he resumed his services.

      The funeral services lasted for another twenty minutes, and once it ended, each mourner gave Ellen, Harris, Shannon and Avery his or her condolences for their loss before he or she walked towards his or her car to leave.

      Once everyone had left except for Ellen, Harris, Allyson, Shannon, Avery, Jane, Mitchell and Brandon, Mitchell and Brandon stepped closer to Ellen and the others.

      Mitchell saw the hatred in Ellen’s eyes towards him as he approached her. Before Ellen could comment on anything, Mitchell questioned, “You really hate me, don’t you?” Ellen scowled at him while crossing