“I’m doing what Dad told me to do. It’s her job to honor his wishes as well.”
“Since when did honoring one’s parents have to be done at gun point.”
“He told me to make sure that Grace and the book come with me and that you didn’t stop us.”
“I’m not about to let you take her or the book.”
“You both know that I’m still here, right?”
“Of course, you’re still here,” Kilian said.
“Don’t I have a say in this?”
“You already said no.”
“She doesn’t get to say no,” Mark yelled.
“Since when did that right get taken away from her?” Kilian asked in a low voice.
“I’m family, so is Dad. It’s not like we’re raping her.”
“Rape comes in many forms,” Kilian growled. “You’re forcing her to do something she doesn’t want to do. Family or not, I will protect her from you.”
Mark opened and closed his mouth before cocking the gun. Kilian swallowed. The man was ready to fire. He gauged the distance, wondering if he could get to Mark without Grace getting caught in the crossfire. The spark of a match flared in the corner of his right eye. Kilian turned his head. A cigarette sparked to life. It illuminated a shadowed figured who stood reclining against a tree. It was obvious that whoever it was, was watching them.
21
Mark loweredhis gun slightly as he turned to see what had caught Kilian’s attention. “What are you looking at?” he growled, his eyes squinting in the darkness as he located the shadow of a large man standing in the distance. “Who in the hell…?”
Grace had tears welling up in the corners of her eyes as she anxiously pleaded with her brother. “Mark, we all need to calm down, please,” she spoke up, her voice becoming small and terrified. She knew telling Mark to be calm was a futile effort, like telling the sea to be still. His stubborn, headstrong attitude was what made him such a great fighter, after all.
“Wait, what’s going on? What are you--” she turned to get a better look at what Mark and Kilian were staring at. “What...who is that?” she asked, confused. Who could have followed them out there other than Mark? Who else could possibly be looking for such a family heirloom? “Oh, no,” she whispered in sudden realization. “It can’t be.”
The spark from the stranger’s cigarette bobbed through the darkness as the man stepped closer, letting out a low, ominous laugh. “You really thought I wouldn’t come back for what’s mine?” His voice was deep and vaguely threatening. “Grace, as soon as your daddy ran off to Galway, I knew exactly where to look.” He chuckled, stepping into view, illuminated by the moonlight.
“Who the hell are you?” Kilian hissed, stepping forward in front of Grace protectively. “Grace, do you know this guy?” He looked over at Grace who now had tears streaming down her face and was trembling slightly.
“She sure does,”the man interrupted with a mean-spirited chortle. “All of the Walshes know who I am, and they led me right to what I needed. Very kind of you, Grace, sweetheart. Peter would be proud. Did you miss your dear old uncle?”
“Fuck you,” Grace spat, her hands balled into tight, shaking fists. “It doesn’t belong to you.” She attempted to lunge at him, but Kilian held her back.
“Hang on, hang on,” Kilian whispered, looking her in the eyes pleadingly. “We don’t know what this crazy asshole is capable of. He’s your uncle?”
“Our uncle,” Mark spoke up, his eyes wide with confusion and disbelief.
“Yeah. Our dad’s brother. And he betrayed him because he’s a piece of shit,” Grace added, crossing her arms. “He followed us here. He followed us here because it’s all he’s good for.” She kicked a couple of rocks on the ground towards the man, which hit him directly in the shins. “This is our hard work...my hard work and suffering that you’re suddenly coming out of the woodwork again to profit off of.” She glared at the man, silently fuming.
“But you made it so easy!” her uncle cackled dryly. “All I had to do was hang back and watch you two lovebirds from the shore until you hopped on the ferry, plain as day.” He stepped closer, tossing his cigarette onto the ground and stamping it out with his boot heel. “Then I just waited until you got back.” His bearded, pock-marked face was now fully visible as his expression turned into a sly smirk. “I could never find the clue on Skellig. It turns out I just needed you two to lead the way!”
He removed his hood, running a hand through his thinning brown hair. The familial resemblance was clear; he was definitely Peter’s brother. “I waited a long time for this, you know.” He stared enviously at the book in Kilian’s hands. “It’s funny. I never would’ve guessed it would have been here.” He laughed heartily once again, as if amused by the situation.
“I can’t let you take this,” Kilian spoke up, clutching the book tightly. “I can’t let you hurt Grace, either.” He held the shovel with his other hand, brandishing it defensively.
Mark watched the conflict unfold, unsure how to react. “Why did she run off with you so willingly, anyway?” he asked suspiciously, his gaze shifting back and forth from Kilian to his sister.
“It’s a long story,” Grace answered, sighing. “We’ll talk about it later. I promise.” Her expression softened a bit as she looked to her brother.
“But he--” Mark started but was quickly cut off by his uncle.
