The Kelpie's Curse (book #1 in the Kelpie's Entrapment trilogy)

Day 1 pt. 1

Fearchar, Scotland 2014

"Have you guys ever seen a more beautiful scene?" Renestrae Frank gushed as she pulled her bags out of the car they'd rented for the duration of their stay.

    "Sure, if you like cold and wet," Evelyn Delamasso grumbled right before she slammed the car door shut.

    "Oh, come on. We live in..." Renestrae trailed off, apprehensive about Evelyn's current mood. "You're not still mad at me, are you?" she asked suspiciously. Evelyn had a bad habit o holding things in and Renestrae preferred to get the argument out of the way before it escalated due to Evelyn's inability to let go.

    Renestrae smirked when Evelyn made a noise in the back of her throat, signaling that she had taken the bait. Evelyn's dark honey-colored hair trailed behind her as she stomped over to Renestrae's side of the car, her blue-green eyes flashing as she stopped barely a foot from Renestrae.

    "Yes, I'm mad! You threw my phone into that - that lake!" Evelyn shouted

    She sighed as she fought not to laugh. "Actually, I believe that was a Loch."

    "I don't care what it was! I can't believe you would have so little respect for my property that you would do that, Ren!"

    "Whoa, whoa, whoa," Kaloria Vedder cut in, wedging her body between the two of them. "Why don't we just calm down a moment?"

    Evelyn opened her mouth to speak but Renestrae cut her off before she could form a syllable.

    "Stay out of this, Kaloria!" Renestrae snapped.

    "Fine, fine, but don't say I didn't try." Kaloria threw her hands up in a familiar sign of surrender and took a couple of steps back.

    "Why did you do it?" Evelyn practically growled.

    She raised a single dark eyebrow at her light-haired friend. "I took out the card so you won't lose any of your contacts or pictures. Does the 'why' really matter?"

    "Yes, I'd like to know why my best friend is acting like a bitch!"

    This time it was Renestrae's brown eyes that flashed in anger. If there was one thing that could set her off it was that word.

    "I did it for your own good, Evelyn!"

    "You had no-"

    "Oh, save it! We all know exactly what would have happened had you kept that phone. You would have texted and called the cheating bastard every chance you got then you would have taken him back and believed any bullshit story he fed you. Personally, the last thing I want to do on my vacation is watch you self-destruct over another guy that just isn't worth it!"

    "I wouldn't -"

    "You would have and you know it! We've watched this too many times already, and frankly, I'm sick of it!" Renestrae watched as tears gathered in Evelyn's eyes and she sighed heavily. "I'm glad I won this trip when I did, Ev, you deserve better and Kaloria and I are going to do everything we can to help you forget about - what was his name again? I can't seem to remember."

    Evelyn laughed. "Alright. What would I do without you two?"

    Renestrae and Kaloria exchanged worried glances but shrugged.

    "If we're done bickering amongst ourselves, I suggest we get inside. These bags aren't going to unpack themselves," Kaloria suggested, pointing towards the stone building behind them. It was a one-story square building that had what appeared to be a bell tower in the back.

    "Ren, this doesn't look like any house I've ever seen. Are you sure we're in the right place?" Kaloria asked as they crossed over the threshold.

    "Oh, I'm sure. It used to be used as a church but it was de-sanctified. It's owned by a lady named Ruth. Whoever runs the contest must have talked her into letting us use it for the month."

    Evelyn furrowed her brow in confusion. "So the sacred is no longer sacred?"

    "That's about the gist of it," Renestrae answered happily.

    "So that explains why you didn't burst into flames when we walked in," Kaloria teased.

    Renestrae narrowed her eyes into a mock glare and placed her hands on her hips. "Very funny, Kali, but I'll have you know that a church is merely four walls and a roof built by very flawed men. Unfortunately, there is nothing mystical about them."

    "Alright. As fun as this is, when can we go into town and check out the hot Scottish men?" Kaloria didn't whine, but she came close to it.

    "As soon as we're done unpacking we'll head into town," Renestrae laughed. "Just remember, they are not puppies."

    "Meaning?"

    "Meaning, my seriously deprived friend, that no matter how much you whine and give the puppy dog eyes, you can't take one home with you."

    "Damn," Kaloria answered snapping he fingers as she did so.

    "Alright, so according to the directions the contest gave me, our names should be marked on the door of our room. Meet back here in about thirty minutes?"

    Kaloria and Evelyn both nodded.