Artemis Unbound

Chapter Three

Holly came swooping in from the sky, just in time to see the Fowl Bentley round the driveway and disappear. Artemis stood at the foot of the stairs, his hand still raised in farewell. She unshielded, revealing herself to him. "Hey Arty."

Artemis Fowl II nodded down at her. "Hello, Holly. Butler, Mum, Father, Myles and Beckett have just left for Italy. Me, being newly resurrected, could not risk the public knowing of my whereabouts, considering that the Garda Síochána is hunting me down." He smiled wrly, though he looked as though he were about to cry. Holly, seeing this, took his hand amd twined her fingers through his.

"It's okay, we'll have a lot of fun together. Let's go for a walk and then maybe we can watch Titanic afterwards?" He nodded, and Holly shielded. They walked together as the sun set behind them, leaving them in twilight. Over the last few months, the Garda Síochána had paid Fowl Manor several surprise visits. She'd almost been caught five times.

Holly and Artemis walked to a nearby oak tree. It was young, only about 50 years or so. Artemis sat by the base of the trunk, while Holly scaled the tree and lounged overhead in the branches. Artemis, to Holly's surprise, started to whistle a tune. After listening a few moments, she looked down at him. "Is that...?"

"Hmm?" Artemis looked up at her, blushing slightly.

"I didn't know you were still awake," Holly's disembodied voice floated from above him. Only the slight shimmer in the air gave off her exact location.

"I couldn't exactly ignore your beautiful voice singing me sleep. Where did you learn the Song?" Holly blushed cherry red. He thought she had a beautiful voice?

"Well, my Mother, Coral, used to sing it to my before I slept when I was an elflet. It was made to commemorate all the fairies that died in the Battle of Tailte, and are now on the other side of the Moon."

Artemis smiled. "It's a beautiful song-" A yelp escaped Holly's mouth before her form solidified and fell to the ground. Artemis just managed to catch her head before it landed hard on a rock. His eyes widened, a hypodermic dart stuck out of her neck.

Another dart whistled through the air and pierced the soft skin of his throat. Artemis scooped Holly's limp form up and staggered through the meadow before the medication shut down his system. Being the genius he was, Artemis knew he wouldn't make it in time. The world spun rapidly, bringing him to his knees in Orange roses. Tears cascaded down his face, they would be taken prisoner, someone would find Holly and the existence of fairies and everything would go to hell. Holly fell from his arms, flattening the roses in the process. As the light left the world, Artemis reached for Holly's wrist, holding it tightly.

"Get the Elf! Leave the boy alone!!" A familiar voice reached his ears before he sank into unconsciousness.

***

When Artemis' eyes opened, he was met with the sight of the starry night sky. He felt strangely empty, like something was missing from him. He sat upright, looking around him. The last thing he remembered, he was with Holly... Holly!!

The Manor was quiet and dark, and only the noise of crickets signaled life. "Holly? Holly!?" Artemis called desperately, tears threatening to overflow. "Where are you?" He ran toward the Manor, hoping she was just playing a sick game of hide and seek with him. When he reached the doors, he saw it was already open. The sitting room doors were also ripped open, revealing the ransacked interior of the previously elegant room.

Artemis fell to his knees in the middle of the room. All the rooms in the house were in the same condition, destroyed. He curled into a ball, sobbing.

"Get the Elf, leave the boy alone!"
"Get the Elf, Leave the boy alone!"
"Get the Elf, leave the boy alone!"

"STOP!" Artemis screamed. He fumbled for the cellphone in his pants pocket. "Butler... Please answer!"

"Artemis?" The confused gravelly voice of his body guard crackled from the phone. "What is it?"

"Holly! Holly, someone- someone took Holly!!"

A pause, then, "I'm on my way Artemis. Lock the Manor and barricade yourself in the study."

"Al-alright Butler."

"Artemis," Butler sighed heavily. "We may need a plan." A click signaled that the call had ended, leaving Artemis to his troubled thoughts. Make a plan? Could he do that anymore? He hadn't made one, much less executed one in more than a year. His last plan had in fact resulted in him dying. Then he thought of Holly.

"For Holly, I'll do it for Holly." Just the thought of her lying in a cold dark rook made him feel queasy and full of dread. How had they known she was there? Holly had been shielded. Artemis made his way into the study. He dropped into a leather armchair surrounded by papers. The study had been thoroughly searched too, judging by the condition of the room.

Artemis took a deep breath. He slid off the armchair and took a seat on the floor, crossing his legs and standing straight. He had a dim memory of doing this, of submersing his conscious mind and entering a dream like state. Closing his eyes, Artemis began to formulate a plan.

***

The next thing Holly knew, she was lying face up in a bright white room. Groaning, she tried to sit up, only to find she was chained to the slab. Where am I? Holly studied her surroundings. She seemed to be in a lab, judging by the medical equipment beeping on the nearby counter.

Where's Artemis? Was her second thought. A pneumatic hiss signaled the opening of a panel on the opposite side of the wall from where she lay. The short, red haired man that Holly was learning to despise entered.

"Hello, Elf. My name is Mr. Ciaran. I'm sure you've seen me around the Manor?" Holly bared her slightly pointed teeth at him. "Tsk tsk. How very animalistic, elf. I am aware that you must follow my word, as you are technically in my dwelling."

Holly stopped, considering this. She felt someting weighing down on her, an obligation to follow a human's word, however, she had no obligation to Mr. Ciaran. He must not own the building then. "I don't follow you, Mr. Ciaran." Holly spat. "You do not own this place." A voice from behind her sent shivers down her spine.

"But I do."