Legacy: Bloodline Book 1 Read online

  LEGACY

  Bloodline Book 1

  Michelle Roxanne Bredeson

  Also by

  Michelle Roxanne Bredeson

  Legends – Bloodline Book 2

  Copyright © 2018 Michelle Roxanne Bredeson

  This book is a work of fiction.

  The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to any actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Cover Design — Michelle Roxanne Bredeson

  Published by Little Dog Press • Langdon, ND

  www.michellebredeson.com • [email protected]

  ISBN: 978-1-948809-02-3

  Second Ebook Edition

  Printed in the United States of America

  Table of Contents

  one

  two

  three

  four

  five

  six

  seven

  eight

  nine

  ten

  eleven

  twelve

  thirteen

  fourteen

  fifteen

  sixteen

  seventeen

  eighteen

  nineteen

  twenty

  twenty-one

  twenty-two

  twenty-three

  twenty-four

  twenty-five

  twenty-six

  twenty-seven

  For Casey

  one

  Carly Morneau kept having the same dream: she raced through a deep forest thick with trees, the surrounding ground heavy with snow. It was early morning or late at night—she couldn’t tell the difference as big, white flakes fell down around her. Someone was after her, or she was running from something—either way, her sixteen-year-old heart wouldn’t stop pounding.

  She somehow knew where she was going even though she didn’t know why. Carly forced every muscle to its very limit as she pushed to get ahead. She had to, because if she didn’t, well, death was her only other option.

  Carly’s feet ached, her legs tortured by daggers of fire. How long had she been at this now? Something had to give, or she wouldn’t make it. Something had to change, or these would be her final breaths.

  And that’s when it happened. Something inside of Carly… shifted. Her body became lighter, her legs quicker. Her heart slowed along with her fear, and in that instant, she was free.

  Carly broke through the trees and spilled onto the rocky shore of a narrow stream. She caught a glimpse of something in the ice-patched water, and paused. It looked like a white fox, but when she glanced up to find it, the creature was gone.

  “Carly? Sweetheart, are you ready to go?”

  “Hmm?” Carly mumbled, looking up from her cereal bowl. She tore herself from memories of her recurring dream as she stared over her father’s pressed gray suit. She hadn’t been looking forward to today—she wasn’t ready to start this new life.

  “Carly, honey, if we don’t leave soon, we’re going to be late,” Howard Morneau said as he grabbed his briefcase from the counter.

  Carly pouted as she tossed her mane of sandy blonde hair over her shoulder. “Dad, we could leave in twenty minutes and still be early.”

  “I can’t be late on my first day. You know that.”

  She sat back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. “I don’t know why we have to ride together. I thought you said I was going to get my own car?”

  “I said we’d talk about it,” Howard reminded her.

  “It’s so embarrassing having my dad drive me to school.”

  “Well, it only makes sense if we’re going to the same place anyway.”

  “We shouldn’t have moved here,” Carly complained, reaching for her spoon to play with the few Cheerios left in her bowl. “We never should have left the Twin Cities.”

  Howard hung his head, closing his eyes for a few moments. “After your mother died… Trust me, sweetheart, I truly feel that this was our only option. Come on, we really are going to be late.”

  “Look, Dad, I think it’s great that you took this job as principal, but it doesn’t mean I have to go to your school. Can’t I homeschool? Or just get my GED or something?”

  “You are going to school, young lady. I thought you’d be more excited about this. Sterling High is where your mother and I went to high school.”

  “I’d be more excited if we were back in the city,” Carly snapped in reply.

  “The city wasn’t working out, not after I lost my job. Besides, we inherited this great house from your late grandfather, and I’m really excited about our future here. Everything’s going to work out for us, Carly—I just know it. But you won’t be able to see that for yourself unless we get you to school.”

  Carly stood from the table, dropping her bowl and spoon into the sink. “Fine, let’s go.”

  She stared out at the passing trees and roaring Lake Superior as her father drove seven miles south to the Sterling, Minnesota public high school. Sterling was located on the North Shore, some of the most beautiful terrain in the entire state, but right now, Carly couldn’t enjoy it. Even the Great Lake view wasn’t enough to bring a smile to her lips.

  “It won’t be that bad,” Howard promised.

  “Do you even remember what it was like in high school?” she asked. “I’m starting over my junior year, and I won’t know one single person.”

  “You’ll make friends in no time, Carly. You’ve got a great personality.”

  “Should that be my opening line? ‘Hi, I’m Carly, I’ve got a great personality.’”

  “You know what I mean,” Howard said. “Just give it a chance, okay?”

  She focused out the window once more. “It’s not like I have a choice.”

  There were already a few cars in the lot when Howard parked. Carly slung her olive messenger bag over her shoulder as she hopped out of the Taurus and assessed the large, brick building with a yawn. From what her father had told her, there were only about seventy kids in the entire high school. That was a pretty dramatic change from the hundreds of classmates she’d had back in the city.

  “You’re already registered, so we’ll head to my office to get you checked in,” Howard said as he led the way inside the school.

  Carly gazed around the tired high school lobby. She wasn’t nervous to start her first day, more like… annoyed. She didn’t want to be here—she didn’t want to have to do any of this.

  “Seems nice, huh?” Howard asked as they stepped down the hall.

  Carly ignored stares from the few kids who’d also arrived early. “Yeah, it’s just like Disney World. What ride should we go on first?”

  “I know it’s not Washington High—”

  “Dad, really, it’s fine,” Carly interrupted, adjusting her messenger bag. Apparently, there was no getting out of this, so she may as well make the most of it. “No AP classes, huh?”

  “I already told you we don’t offer advanced placement, but maybe that’s one of the things I can change now that I’m in charge.”

  Carly nodded as they reached Howard’s office. “Yeah, maybe.” She followed him inside to find a giddy secretary.

  “You must be Carly,” she spoke up. “It’s so great to meet you, dear. I’m Mrs. Hornsby.”

  “I’m Carly, but you already know that. So, what now?”

  “I can run off a copy of your class schedule if you’d like.”

  “Dad already
gave me a copy, but thanks. Trigonometry for homeroom, huh? I hate math in the morning.”

  “You have Mr. Dowell for that one,” Mrs. Hornsby said. “He’s a great teacher.”

  “I’m sure he is,” Carly noted, looking to her father. “Can I go off campus for lunch?”

  “Yes, you can,” Howard answered. “But you’re not going to get very far without a car.”

  “You can lend me yours until you decide to buy me my own. Which way to homeroom?”

  Mrs. Hornsby gave her an over-the-top smile. “Back down the hall, to your left, and then it’s the first door on the right.”

  “Cool. Thanks, bye.”

  “Carly?” Howard called after her. “Let me know if you need anything, okay?”

  She nodded. “Will do. I’ll stop by at lunch to pick up your keys.”

  Howard let out a laugh. “Could I get a please?”

  She batted her eyelashes like she did every time she wanted something from him. “Please?”

  “Stop by, and we’ll talk.”

  “Bye, Dad.” Carly turned on her heel and stepped back out into the hall. She didn’t give a second thought to the kids she passed as she reached what she assumed was her classroom. She stepped up to the middle-aged man scrawling out something on the chalkboard, and asked, “Are you Mr. Dowell?”

  “I sure am,” he confirmed. “You must be Carly Morneau.”

  “Must be,” she echoed. “Do you have assigned seats or anything?”

  “Not unless you’d like one.”

  “No, thanks.” Carly stepped to the back of the classroom, slid into a desk, pulled out a worn copy of A Clockwork Orange, and opened it to her bookmark.

  “I hate to break your heart, but that’s on the banned books list.”

  Carly glanced over the guy she presumed to be a classmate as he took the seat in front of her. He was all long legs and shaggy, dark hair—which, under normal circumstances, might have captured her attention. But these weren’t normal circumstances, and she wanted to be anywhere but here. “So?”

  “I know, it’s lame,” he added, “but if you’re caught with a copy of anything on the list, it’s an automatic week of detention.”

  Carly turned back to her book and hoped the guy would take the hint.

  “Even if you are the principal’s daughter.”

  Carly glared at him, but her expression softened when she noticed his eyes. They were an enchanting pale blue—as pale of blue as she’d ever seen. She opened her mouth, but didn’t quite know what to say. She’d never met anyone with eyes like that before, and he had her flustered.

  The guy seemed to sense it, and smiled. “You’re the principal’s daughter, right? Carly Morneau?”

  She blinked, gaining her composure. “I’m already a celebrity, huh?”

  “Maybe just a little. We don’t get many transfer students around here. I’m Gabe, by the way.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Gabe. I’d introduce myself, but you already seem to know who I am.”

  “Everybody already knows who you are,” he informed her.

  “Of course they do.” Carly watched as Gabe’s gaze fell to her chest. Typical hormone-driven teenage boy. She thought in a small town she could at least meet a nice guy, but—

  “AC/DC, huh?” Gabe asked, cutting off her thought.

  Carly glanced down at her t-shirt, trying not to blush as she realized what he’d been staring at.

  He looked back up to her eyes. “Do you really like them, or do you just like the t-shirt?”

  “Between you and me, Back In Black is probably the best metal album of all time. If that answers your question.”

  “You’re into metal?” he wondered.

  “I’m into music,” Carly replied. “All music.”

  “Even better.”

  “Gabriel, darling, I see you’ve made a friend.”

  Carly looked to the girl who’d made the comment. She had cropped black hair, twenty-some ear piercings, and a skirt so short it was bound to get her detention. Which meant they were probably going to be friends. “Hi, I’m Carly.”

  “I know,” the girl said. “I’m Esther. It’s nice to finally meet you. You’re all anyone’s been talking about for weeks now.”

  “People in this town sure seem to have a lot of time on their hands.”

  Esther took the seat next to Carly. “You have no idea.”

  The bell rang, and Carly tucked her contraband book back into her bag as Mr. Dowell handed out textbooks. She flipped through her ragged copy and realized she already knew most of the content. At least bringing home a sparkling report card wouldn’t be an issue.

  “You seem rather unimpressed with your first class,” Gabe observed once Mr. Dowell had dismissed them.

  “It’s just not exactly what I was expecting,” Carly admitted.

  “Well, I’m pretty good at math, so if you need a tutor or anything—”

  “No, but thanks. I think I’ll be okay.”

  Esther smacked him on the arm as she hopped up from her desk. “She’s smart, remember?”

  “Excuse me?” Carly muttered.

  Esther’s cheeks were red. “I mean, I’d heard you were smart.”

  “I manage. My next class is English Literature. Can you point me in the right direction?”

  “We’ll do more than that,” Gabe offered. “We’ll walk you there.”

  “Look, I don’t want to put you out. If it’s not on your way or—”

  “Carly, of course it’s on my way. Look around. There are only sixteen kids in our class. We’ll be in the same classes all day.”

  It was her turn to blush. “Duh, of course. You’ll walk me there.”

  Gabe grinned. “Like I said.”

  “Sorry, this is just going to take some getting used to.”

  “What, this school?”

  “This school, this town, everything,” Carly confessed. “It’s just all so… different.”

  Gabe let out a laugh. “Tell me about it.”

  Esther caught Carly on the shoulder as they stepped down the hallway. “You moved into Grant Manor, right? North of town?”

  “Yeah, you know it?” Carly questioned.

  “Everyone knows it. It’s the biggest house for miles.”

  “Well, don’t be too impressed. It belonged to my grandfather, and he willed it to us after he died.”

  Gabe caught Carly’s gaze, and her heart skipped a beat as she stared back at him. “Can we see it?”

  “My house?” Carly asked. “Why do you want to see my house?”

  “Because it’s the biggest house for miles, and, I don’t know, there’re all kinds of stories about it. It would just be cool to see it from the inside.”

  Carly didn’t know what to make of Gabe’s curiosity, but at least if she had people over it would spare her a lecture from her father about the necessity of making friends. “Sure, if you want to come over after school or something—”

  “Yes, definitely,” Esther was quick to agree. “I mean, if that’s okay.”

  “Carly Morneau, right?” a tall blond interrupted as he stepped out in front of her, blocking her path down the hallway.

  Carly narrowed her eyes as she studied him. He was definitely hot—in that super predictable GQ kind of way. But boys were the last thing she wanted to worry about right now. “Yeah, so?”

  The guy glanced at Gabe, licked his lips, and turned back to Carly. “I’m Esther’s brother, Abel.”

  “You two are brother and sister?” Carly gasped as she looked over the siblings. They definitely came from opposite ends of the gene pool. “Seriously?”

  “What do you want, Abel?” Esther groaned.

  “What everyone wants,” Abel answered. “To meet the new girl.”

  “Well, I’m Carly,” she confirmed as she slipped past him.

  Abel turned and caught up to her. “It’s nice to meet you, Carly. I’m a senior, so if you need anything—”

  “I’ll be sure to let you
know.”

  “I hope you will.”

  Carly followed Gabe into their classroom, noting his smile as he slid into the seat next to her. “What?”

  “Nothing,” Gabe replied. “It’s just… Abel’s the most popular guy at this school, and you just blew him off. I’m impressed.”

  “Trust me, I don’t care about popular. I’m not here to be Prom Queen, or find a boyfriend, or anything like that. I just have to make it through the next two years, and then I’m out of here.”

  Gabe’s expression sobered. “Yeah, well, I’m right there with you.”

  “You don’t want to be Prom Queen either, huh?”

  There was that grin of his again. “Not really, no.”

  “After school?” Esther spoke up, tapping Carly on the shoulder. “It’s cool if we come over?”

  “Yeah, sure,” Carly agreed. “If you really want to see the place that bad, I’ll give you the grand tour.”

  two

  “It’s so cool that you have a car,” Carly told Gabe as she shifted in the passenger seat of his black Jetta. “Seriously, I’m super jealous.”

  “Well, any time you need a ride, just let me know,” he offered with a wink.

  “You saved me from having to steal my dad’s car at lunch today,” she added. “I really liked the café downtown. Do you guys go off campus every day for lunch?”

  “It’s not really any fun hanging out at school, so yes.”

  “Yeah, I guess not. Do you know the way?”

  “To your house?” Gabe asked. “Yes, Carly, I know where I’m going.”

  Carly turned to Esther in the backseat. “You guys could stay for dinner if you’d like.”

  “Would your dad be okay with that?” Esther wondered.

  “Look, if you’re going to be my friends, you’re going to have to get over the fact that my dad is the principal,” Carly told them. “I had people over all the time in the Twin Cities, and he didn’t care. Besides, he loves to cook, and it gets overwhelming sometimes when it’s just the two of us. I’m surprised I don’t weigh two hundred pounds with as much as he feeds me.”