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

Day 14 pt. 5

Despite her calm attitude Evelyn was scared out of her mind. This was all a dream, right? She wasn't really in Scotland, people hadn't really been dying and left and right around here, she hadn't really seen a shape shifting man-eating horse drown some poor girl, and she wasn't really in jail with what had to be the meanest man in the form of Officer Dean leering at her. Nope, none of it was real and soon she'd be waking up in her bedroom in Sherwood, Michigan.

Yep, any minute now.

Unfortunately she knew that this wasn't a dream, as if her mind could come up with something as crazy as this. Granted, she'd had some pretty fucked up dreams before but this seemed more like something Renestrae's mind would come up with, not hers. Of course before they came to Scotland none of them had ever heard of a Kelpie so...

It wasn't a dream, she was really in jail for attempting to kill her best friend, and there really was a shape shifting man-eating horse out there. It was official, she was fucked.

To make matters worse she was pretty sure her only way out of this was the insanity plea. She had to admit to herself that there was a chance that Renestrae would hear her story about the Kelpie and laugh the way she'd laughed at both of her friends on countless occasions. Then again even if Ren believed her there was always the chance that her temperamental friend was still pissed and wasn't about to let her out of here any time soon. Damn it, she should have ju-

"Where is she?"

Instantly she perked up from her spot on the bench of her cell. She'd know that angry shout anywhere. Once she got out of this she was going to make Ren the best dinner she'd ever had, one made entirely out of chocolate.

She strained her ears to hear, but she couldn't make out what Constable O'Cain told Renestrae.

"I don't give a rat's ass what your damn process is! It was an accident and I'm not pressing charges, end of story!"

Evelyn winced slightly, suddenly feeling sympathetic for Gordan O'Cain. She knew that tone of voice, had unfortunately been on the receiving end of it once or twice. Renestrae wasn't just mad, she was in full on Hulk Ren mode. She knew it sounded funny but honestly it wasn't. She knew for a fact that were she standing in front of Ren right now her face would be red with anger, her eyes would be a very angry bright green, and though it wasn't much she be holding herself at her full height.

It was often surprising just how intimidating Renestrae could be when she was pissed, especially since both her and Ren were seriously lacking in the height department.

Evelyn smiled and stood up as Renestrae marched into the room. It was surprising but even with her arm in a sling Ren still looked ready to kill with Constable O'Cain trailing behind her.

 Constable Dean stood and sneered at Ren. "I'm sorry Lass, but ye can't be in here and I'm afraid that yer friend will be staying with us.

Evelyn glanced at Renestrae and quickly took a step back as that look flashed across Renesestrae's eyes and Evelyn knew...it was about to get ugly...Renestrae's nostrils flared and Evelyn could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand on end as fear wrapped around her heart.

She watched as Renestra's face turned red, the fist that wasn't in as sling clenched so hard that Evelyn was sure that Ren's nails had broken the flesh on her palm and she simultaneously closed her eyes and sucked in a breath through clenched teeth. The sound seemed to echo in the small room, but Evelyn was sure that was because fear enhanced perception. Whatever the case was the Constables were silent.

Evelyn couldn't see Renestrae's eyes as she opened them but she knew what Officer Dean would be seeing in that moment. Her pupils would almost completely encompass her eye, making them appear black. She didn't usually buy into mythology the way that Renestrae and Kaloria did, but she knew that if there was a goddess of war then her name was Renestrae Edwina Frank.

"I am not pressing charges so you are going to let my friend out of that cell, now." Renestrae's voice was slightly unsteady but it was calm, and it was that calm that scared Evelyn to the point that she wasn't sure she wanted out of that cell. She was glad that anger wasn't directed at her. Renestrae was influenced by her emotions so for her to be that angry but sound calm, it wasn't good.

"Yer friend is now a suspect I-"

"Suspect?" Renestrae hissed. "I talked to your doctor who just so happens to have examined the bodies of the victims and the wounds were not caused by an arrow."

Well that bit of information was interesting, but what really grabbed Evelyn's attention was how the constable flinched. Either he knew he was being unfair towards them or Renestrae looked that scary. Personally she'd put her money on Constable Camshron being scared. She'd been scared herself when she'd seen Ren in Hulk mode before. It scared her every time she saw it and she knew that Renestrae would never hurt her, not intentionally anyway.

It took a minute but Constable Dean did return to his normal self even as Renestrae stared him down. "I don't have to-"

"Let the Lass go Dean." Officer O'Cain commanded. "The Lass is right, there is no evidence to prove that Miss Dalamasso is connected to any of the murders and if Miss Frank is not going to press charges then there is nothing we can hold her for."

Officer Dean stepped forward so that he was right in front of Renestrae, forcing Ren to tilt her head up to keep contact, and she did just that.

Evelyn winced, the I'm taller than you intimidation tactic, Officer Dean obviously had a death wish. Please don't do anything stupid, Ren. She begged internally. That intimidation tactic pissed her off as much as it did Renestrae but while Evelyn thought with sound logic she knew that Renestrae was impulsive and subject to her emotions. This was not going to be pretty.

"This isn't over." Officer Dean growled.

"Not by a long shot." Renestrae sneered without breaking eye contact or stepping back way from the mean man.

Honestly Evelyn didn't know if Renestrae was extremely brave or extremely foolish in that moment, maybe a little bit of both since Ren's anger seemed to override her good sense from time to time.

Gordan O'Cain walked over then and unlocked the cell, allowing Evelyn to walk tentatively out of it. She still wasn't sure if outside of it was very safe given Renestrae's obviously murderous mood.

"Have a good day Miss Frank." Constable Camshron said through clenched teeth.

"Like wise Constable."

Renestrae turned away then and lead the way to the car and Kaloria, still parked outside of the hospital just a few blocks away.

"Constable Camshron," Renestrae scoffed. "Constable Dumbass is more like it."

They were in sight of the car now and Kaloria waved madly at them. It was a nice sight but Evelyn knew that Renestrae was far from being calmed down.

As they approached Evelyn could tell that Kaloria was about to saying something cheerful but a glare from Renestrae stopped that in it's tracks.