“We need to get going,” Kilian said, his features pulled together tightly. Any trace of the tenderness he’d expressed today had been washed away by the shower.
Bitterly, Grace gritted her teeth, hiding her expression of sudden and sharp contempt as he stuffed his own pack with medical supplies. Coming to the conclusion that if Kilian was going to dance around their moment together and pretend as though nothing had happened, she was going to do the same.
“We should,” she agreed, keeping her tone even and devoid of affection.
Kilian didn’t seem to notice her monotone, unenthusiastic response to his arrival, and continued to pack. Pulling the folded map from his back pocket, he placed it in the front zipper before turning to face Grace.
“You have the list,” he reminded her impatiently, his eyes shifting to the door behind her.
Grace stared back at him for a moment, unable to determine why he was acting so standoffish all of a sudden. He seemed as though he was incapable of even looking her in the eye. Feeling a heavy blanket of shame wrap around her shoulders, Grace only shook her head. “We agreed on the Ring of Kerry last night,” she explained, releasing an exasperated sigh before grabbing the bag she’d filled with dried goods and other non-perishable items. The weight of the bag surprised her. She barely lifted it off of the floor with the first tug, but after gathering her strength, Grace was able to lift it onto her shoulder. As she hauled the heavy bag out to the car by herself—refusing Kilian’s help along the way—she reminded herself why she was even bothering to partner up with the Kelly boy. It was likely that she was going to encounter dangerous situations along the path to finding the legendary book and as her father always said, two pairs of eyes were always better than one.
Two hours of driving later,Grace stretched her stiff legs in the passenger seat of Kilian’s car and felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up—a prickling that lifted her shoulders up towards her ears—and she knew that Kilian was watching her. The icy weight of his gaze sent a current of electricity through her body, one that renewed the guilt she was storing in her chest and made her wonder—would her father still believe his words if he knew that the eyes that had his daughter’s back were the same icy blue color of his enemy’s?
Kilian sat behind the wheel of his Volkswagen Tiguan with Grace sitting beside him in the passenger seat. He was driving them into the Gap of Dunloe. It was a beautiful pass between Macgillycuddy’s Reeks mountains and the Purple Mountain Group.
“You’ve been quiet,” Kilian said.
“I’ve been thinking about my great-great-grandfather’s journal,” she said after a moment.
“We’ve gone over it and are headed for the Wishing Bridge,” Kilian offered as he adjusted the speed of the windshield wipers to meet the demands of the new downpour.
“I know. I’ve just been wondering how our parents our reacting to our disappearance.”
Kilian stiffened, throwing her a sideways glare.
“Don’t give me that look,” she snapped. “Enemy families, runaway children working together, how very Romeo and Juliet of us.”
Kilian snorted out a laugh as he sped to pass a slower vehicle, and shook his head, amused with her, “When we get to the Wishing Bridge, are you going to make a wish?”
She gave a breathy laugh. “Perhaps. You?”
“Perhaps.”
They drove in silence for a little while longer, with nothing but the rain to fill the void. The Irish countryside, damp and green, flew by Grace’s window until at last she saw the first sign they were nearing their destination, “Well, there’s Coosan Lough.
“Yes. Not much longer until we can look for the first clue.” Kilian narrowed his eyes to look through the fog that only grew thicker with each mile.
Anxious, Grace rubbed her palms over the top of her thighs. Kilian reached over and grabbed her hand. He gave her a reassuring squeeze. Putting his hand back on the wheel, Grace was thankful there weren’t any tourists around at the moment. She hated having to wait for them to get out of the way so that they could pull over. Besides, Grace and he didn’t need anyone hanging about them, asking questions about what they were doing, and making a nuisance of themselves.
They approached the Wishing Bridge. Beyond was the Black Lake under a dark layer of clouds. Probably the reason the tourists weren’t out today, she thought.
“We should have checked on the weather before we left,” Grace sighed. “At least we don’t have to worry about them staring at us.”
Kilian said nothing as he pulled off the thin, winding road onto the soft, grassy shoulder. No need to potentially cause an accident if he could help it, “Ready?”
Grace nodded and stepped out of the car before he had even turned the engine off. She was so independent. It didn’t take long for him to join her on the Wishing Bridge. By the time he caught up to her, she was staring off over the Black Lake, though she wasn’t really taking in the view. She wondered what her great-grandfather had seen while he was here, and why he chose this place as the first clue. Wouldn’t it have been simpler to hide the book and then write down where he hid it and why?
Kilian cleared his throat and Grace blinked and looked at him. “We should get to looking and quickly.”
She nodded, “I’ll start at the end of the bridge.” She pointed to the opposite side. “You start on the side we approached.”
“And we meet in the middle, huh?”
“Something like that. Now, let’s get to work.”
14
Kilian lookedin the grass around the stones, ran his fingers over the top of the bridge, and tested the bridge’s stones under his feet as he moved towards the middle. He couldn’t seem to find what they were looking for: the first clue that her great-great-grandfather had left to be found.
