I know this chapter is shorter than the first. That was the only stopping place I could find.

I'm sorry this update is so late. Life interfered yet again, and I had a major block on what I wanted to happen next. Two scenarios kept playing in my mind. In the end, it morphed into something completely different. I hope you enjoy it. More Kelpie and cousin fighting before a more touching scene.

I thank you very much for adding this story to your alerts or your favorites, Linariel, Yuukii Hiime, midnightrose12206, and a special smile goes to Weeping Isislogged off and CeruleanDreamCatfor their cute comments. They were short but sweet.

Weeping Isislogged off, there is a LOT more coming. 3

CeruleanDreamCat, don't worry. I am not tired of writing about Kelpie yet. At ALL.

~Kelpie's Trap Part II~

Lydia's hand on her pen slipped, scratching through her notes, as a huge BANG echoed out. The cry of horses ripped through the afternoon. Lydia blinked, springing to her feet and running to the window. Gasping, she ran to her door.

Outside, Nico backed even deeper into the bushes.

The dusty white mare backed up, biting at the black stallion which nearly reared a second time. The white mare's eyes glowed with a dark red light, while the black stallion's eyes were dark with a strange glimmer in the center. Ears back against their skull, the two horses circled each other. The stallion snorted, tossing his head. The mare huffed then snapped at his heels. The stallion closed in. Once more, the thunder of their hooves echoed out over the yard as the two bodies slammed into each other, neither one giving way. The stallion broke free and reared up, nearly catching the mare on her shoulder. Tail swishing, the mare sidestepped and bit at the stallion's leg. Flanks pushed against each other, trying to make the other fall first. Their shrieks of challenge rose higher.

A shout rang out. "STOP THIS AT ONCE, KELPIE!" The black stallion broke free of the mare, trotting a few feet away.

Lydia gasped from a doorway, hands on her knees. "What-kind of behavior is this?" she huffed, "on the Edgar's grounds too..." She sucked in a breath. "You can't-break anything here."

"Lydia!" Nico squawked. "It's dangerous. GET-GET AWAYYY!" he hollered, waving his hands from his hiding spot.

"No," Lydia barked back. "Kelpie, that is enough," she said, eyes on the stallion.

For a moment, the two eyes remained locked, then the shape morphed. Kelpie folded his arms. "It wasn't my fault, Lydia. She called me out by using one of the worse insults you can give a kelpie." His shirt and pants were ripped in places, and a cut had opened on his cheek.

"You deserved it," his cousin spat, a few away, likewise back in her form. Her eyes still glinted underneath her ruined hairdo. She swirled around in her ripped skirt. "And I won the fight."

Kelpie turned around. "No, you didn't. You need to lift the flimsy shawl around your arms," he stated, voice neutral.

"Wha-what?" She hissed, as blood slowly began dotting her lacy shawl.

"You are bleeding more than me; therefore, I win the challenge."

"Noooo," she whined. "This was one of my favorites." She whirled on Kelpie. "You-you beast!"

"Save it for another place, Annette. I won't fight again if Lydia has forbade it," Kelpie murmured, voice almost bored. He walked over to Lydia. "I apologize for our destruction."

It's okay," she said gently. "Annette?"

"Yeah, one of the names she uses nowadays," Kelpie replied dismissively.

"You need names to travel around in public, idiot," his cousin spat, "and don't go using them as you please. I don't need to remember your voice uttering my name."

"With a brain like that, I'm shocked that is even an issue."

"You-"

"So you're Kelpie's cousin?" Lydia blurted out, cutting off the incoming battle. "I'm a little surprised. I thought kelpies were solitary faeries."

Annette opened her fan again. "We are. We have to be." She sighed. "Don't you realize what most of us eat? If we lived in groups, we would have been found out long ago." She scoffed, tossing the shawl into a pool, where it dissolved, "and you're supposed to be a fairy doctor."

"I am a fairy-"

"I won't insult you like that. My cousin will have an issue," Annette interrupted, "and kill me when he returns."

"Returns?" Lydia blinking, turning, and sighed. Kelpie had disappeared again. She had wanted to thank him properly. "He would never do that."

Lydia turned back to the female kelpie, who was leaning over the fountain, pouring water into her hair. She threaded her fingers through her locks, styling them. Lydia watched as she conjured a few hairpins, moved locks around her crown, pinning them in place and framed her face with lighter strands bit by bit. Lydia glanced down at her own reflection and the simple twist in her hair. Annette caught her gaze. Lydia blinked and returned the look in the water with a small smile.

Annette glared. "I really don't like you." Lydia paled. "Because of you, he changed. And for what?" The woman whirled around, hair back in perfect ringlets. "For someone who is too ignorant to even understand his feelings. A meek mouse."

Lydia twisted her dress in her hands. "I do understand."

"You won't return them."

Lydia's eyes watered. "I can't... it's too early."

Annette bit her lip. "You're -"

"Leave, Annette," a smooth voice ordered, clipped. Half in the shadows of an oak, arms folded, Kelpie stared his cousin down. "I won't let you finish that thought."

Annette folded her own arms. "I came here for a reason, you know."

"I imagine. It can wait."

Annette held his gaze for a couple minutes. "Fine. I'm leaving for now." She walked over and paused. "You are too soft." She spun around a hedge.

"I'm sorry I left you alone with her like that, Lydia."

"That's alright," Lydia muttered, twirling the water with her finger. "Are you-"

"I'm fine," Kelpie said, cutting her off. "It was only a scratch and I swallowed much more liver the last time."

"I -I'm sorry that Edgar-"

"Don't apologize for him." Kelpie interrupted once more. Staring into her dazed hazel eyes, he sighed and strode over to her side. "Putting that aside, Lydia, are you -"

"Lydia," Nico yowled, moving out from under the bushes, "didn't you have something you wanted to write down before this kelpie caused a ruckus?"

Lydia and Kelpie stepped back from each other. Lydia bent down. "Nico, where were you all this time?" She giggled. "You didn't really run away, did you?"

"I would have you know that when faeries of the Unseelie Court clash, it is not pretty. I was looking for Raven. He would have been a really nice distraction."

Nico..." Kelpie started.

"I was doing my best to protect you," Nico continued, spreading his arms and ignoring Kelpie.

Lydia smiled. "I'm sure you were, Nico. Thank you." She rose and met Kelpie's gaze once more. "I'm sorry, Kelpie, can we continue this conversation at another time? I don't think it will be good if I don't record all I noticed at the Prince's court as soon as possible, and I was too tired to do it last night."

Kelpie sighed, shrugging with a slight smirk. "You're hopeless. Don't use your obligations as a fairy doctor to work too long."

"I won't." Lydia replied with a larger smile. Kelpie watched as she took the steps and disappeared into the house.

"You should have noticed, Cat-"

"I am not a cat! I am a fairy cat." Nico retorted.

"You are still a feline," he argued back, facing Nico. "You interrupted me on purpose."

"I don't know what you mean."

Kelpie persisted. "Hiding from it doesn't help her."

Nico folded his own arms and glanced at the house. "It really isn't your place to decide that, underwater-"

"You... "

"She didn't want to talk about it, and really, you should know that her mind isn't clear enough for that."

Kelpie blinked. "Now, why would she -"

"Time to go. Get out of here already. You smell queer from letting yourself loose. You don't want to attract Raven's faerie, do you?" Nico popped out of existence with a leap.

"That fairy cat," Kelpie muttered. He turned his eyes to the house, still for a few minutes, then chuckled. "I'll come by in the evening. I still have a question for you, Lydia." Spinning around, he leapt into the fountain.

I hope you enjoyed the little Kelpie/Lydia scenes. Next chapter we have more Edgar appearances and Annette returns with a catch~

Please review and comment after reading.