Artemis Fowl and the Master Experimentation

Chapter 16

Birds tweeted outside in the early morning light, deceptively giving the scene a calm appearance. The two guard fairies were stood side by side, arms crossed and their faces stern.

"Is the Queen even coming?" demanded one of the hired muscles.

Holly stood from the sofa and stalked past them, going into the office area. For the sixth time she tried to call Artemis.

Faylinns mother, Fia, not Fee as the fake article had said, emptied Artemis's trouser pockets as she prepared to wash his muddied clothes. She took a pair of sunglasses, a pointer pen, a wad of fifty euro notes and a heavy mobile phone. She put them all on the side in the kitchen and put his trousers in the wash. After a few moments, when the washing machine started up, the phone began to vibrate and dance across the kitchen counter.

"Artemis! Your phone's ringing!" she called.

Artemis rushed into the kitchen and snatched it up, answering it with a cold-

"Who are you and what is it you want?"

"Artemis!" exclaimed Holly, relieved.

"Holly?" he replied.

'I've been trying to get hold of you for hours!"

"I apologise, Holly, but my phone was not on my persons. What is the problem?"

Holly scowled down the phone.

"My problem, Mud Boy, is that you have the Queen and there's a couple of very antsy guard fairies waiting around at Fowl Manor to pick her up! So get your sorry arse over here and bring the Queen!"

"I'm sorry, Holly, but I can't do that," replied Artemis smoothly.

"Why in the name of the People not?" she demanded, feeling something awful was coming.

"Holly, I-" Artemis stopped himself.

"What, Artemis, what?!"

There was some silence and Artemis sighed down the phone.

"I have- well- I have developed an atach- no, feelings- no, not that. No, Holly, I just can't bring her back. Not yet."

"Artemis Fowl, you listen to me right now!"

"Sorry, Holly," he murmured, then hung up.

She stood shocked, looking at her communicator. What under the Earth was that about? Artemis had developed feelings? What kind of feelings? Any feelings would be a start, she supposed, but towards who, or what?

She returned to the Guard Faries and told them there was some complications.

"What type of complications?" demanded one.

"Complications, ok? So you will just have to wait," she snapped, covering her worry with anger.

Artemis tucked his phone into the trousers of the jogging bottoms and turned to leave the cloak room he'd taken the call in, only to see Faylinn standing there, studying him. She stood aside to let him pass, but followed him.

"Artemis?" she said softly.

"Yes?" he growled and instantly regretted being so harsh.

"That was Holly, wasn't it?" she whispered.

"Yes," he said, more softly.

"She wants you to bring me back, doesn't she?" murmured Faylinn.

Artemis said nothing.

"I know you're keeping this from me," she said.

He turned to look at her and her eyes were blazing with gold and blue, her face framed with wild shining hair. She was beautiful. He closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her, resting his forehead on hers.