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

Day 4 Part 4

***

"Where could she be?" Evelyn muttered as she paced back and forth. It was well after two o'clock in the morning and Renestrae still hadn't come back from her date.

"Relax, Ev. I'm sure everything is fine," Kaloria said, not even bothering to look up from the book she was reading on the couch.

"Relax? There's a murderer out there and we don't know anything about that guy! How can you just sit there reading?"

Kali shrugged. "It's not that hard. Would it make you feel better if I got up and checked the window again?"

"If I say yes, will you?"

Kali sighed. "Fine."

After Kali got up Evelyn continued her pacing. This didn't make sense. Renestrae wasn't the type to stay out all night. She was responsible... ish. The girl was still a virgin for crying out loud. Well, so was Kali and even she couldn't believe some of the things that came out of that girl's mouth.

However Ren was different. She didn't have the impossible-to-live-up-to standards that Kali had. She was impulsive but she wasn't stupid, and she didn't try to change herself for anyone.

Then again, hadn't Renestrae told her before how frustrated she was that she couldn't seem to find anyone that accepted her or that she didn't have to dumb herself down for? Then comes this rich Scot who seemed smart, who seemed to like old things just as much as her, who-

"Oh my Lanta!" Kali gasped from the window.

Evelyn rushed over to the window to see what had Kali so shocked, only to be shocked speechless as well. Not two yards away from them on the other side of the window was their friend and she was kissing the dark-haired man that had picked her up an obscene number of hours ago.

"Kali, open the window," Evelyn ordered, smiling mischievously.

"Are you sure you want to eavesdrop on them?" Kali asked, shooting her a conspiratorial grin of her own.

Instantly, almost as if they were in sync, they unlatched the window, pulled it up, dropped down out of sight and clapped hands over their mouths to keep from giggling like a couple of schoolgirls.

"I had a good time, Dageus." Renestrae's voice drifted in through the window.

"As did I, Renestrae-lass."

"What was that move you did? It was very good," she asked wistfully.

Evelyn and Kaloria turned to each other eyes wide. Surely not!

"Och, it was my pleasure, Lass, but ye had a few of yer own if I am no' mistaken. It was almost as if ye had done it before."

Renestrae laughed. "No, my first time, I assure you."

Evelyn and Kaloria turned to each other with identical incredulous looks. What had the girl been doing tonight? Surely she hadn't ... no she couldn't have ...

"In tha' case dinnae worry, Lass. Ye'll only get better with practice."

Evelyn moved to get up and rush to the door but Kaloria grabbed the back of her pants and pulled her back down.

"Bu-"

"Shh!"

Renestrae laughed again, only this time Evelyn could have sworn that it sounded husky, lusty even.

"I did have a good time though. Oidhche mhath, Dageus."

He chuckled. "Ye are a fast learner, Lass. Oidhche mhath."

Neither Kali nor Evelyn knew what that meant but they simultaneously got the idea that it was their cue to act natural. Kali rushed to her spot on the couch with her book and Evelyn continued her pacing as if they had no idea that Renestrae was outside, just as the door opened.

"Alright, what did you two hear?"

"What?" Kaloria and Evelyn asked simultaneously.

"I know you two were listening at the window."

"Details!" Kaloria shouted as she shot up from the couch and threw her book to one side.

"Now!" Evelyn exclaimed as the two of them crowded around Renestrae. "Did you have sex?"

"What? No!" Renestrae exclaimed as if she were shocked but then Evelyn watched as her lips turned up into a smirk. "You guys really were listening in, weren't you?"

Evelyn and Kaloria looked at each other for a moment, each trying to silently figure out if they should give themselves up.

Evelyn sighed. She was caught and she might as well admit it. "Yes, we were listening. Now what happened?"

"Yeah, spill the beans, Chica."

"Don't you think it's kind of sad that all three of us live vicariously through the other two?"

"You're stalling," Evelyn accused.

"Alright, alright." Renestrae gave in, putting her hands up in the universal sign of surrender. "He showed me his library and it's massive," she said wistfully.

Kaloria giggled. "You say library but it sounds like something else."

"Oh, don't be vulgar, Kali. Anyway, he showed me his library. Unfortunately I'll have to learn Gaelic if I'm going to read any of the books in it. We had dinner, we danced, and then he started teaching me Gaelic."

"So when you were talking about moves..." Evelyn trailed off.

"He showed me a couple of steps of a Scottish dance. Turns out I'm a fast learner." Renestrae smiled as she threw her arms around Kaloria and Evelyn. "Guys, let's not focus on the shit that's happened the last couple of days. We came here to have fun, to learn about a different culture. I say we do just that."

Evelyn smiled, glad that Ren was acting like her old self again. "I think that's a wonderful idea. So what are we going to do tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow I'm going to teach you how to use a bow."

"But-" Evelyn tried to protest but she knew that look Renestrae was giving her. It was one that said she might as well make her protest to the wall.

"It's as you said, Evelyn. There's a killer out there."