Chapter 2

Artemis woke first, to his surprise. Usually Holly was the type to be up at the crack of dawn, but today the sun was well risen enough to peek through his windows, and she was still in a state of slumber, nestled comfortably in the crook of his arm and against his chest... each breath reminding Artemis quite succinctly that she wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing underneath the sheet and comforter that covered them both.

His body predictably responded to that reminder, but he couldn't let himself get distracted. She had more than effectively deflected conversation the night before, but Artemis had to know what was going on.

At the same time, however, he didn't want to wake her and demand answers. It was rare to see Holly at peace. Whatever had happened that brought her to this point, she looked the most at ease than he had ever seen her, like a tremendous weight on her shoulders was finally gone.

There were other avenues he could take... but it required him to get out of bed.

Holly protested with a half-awake groan and mumble as she felt him move. Artemis kissed her on the shoulder and said, "Go back to sleep, honey. I just have some work to do, then I'll get some breakfast for us."

A grumble that he assumed was compliance allowed Artemis to slip out of bed, throw on some boxers and his robe while forcing himself to ignore the thin black dress and similarly colored umentionables carelessly discarded at his feet, then step out of the bedroom.

There was one place he could go where he suspected he could find some answers at this point, or least more information than was available eleven days ago. Crossing the hall into his office, he flipped open his laptop, and Artemis began the game of cat and mouse that Foaly loved to play.

It wasn't ever a serious game, mind. Otherwise it would take a lot longer and Artemis wouldn't be guaranteed an audience. Of course, it was never as easy as Foaly simply answering the first attempt, like he did this time.

That couldn't be good news.

The centaur in charge of the Lower Elements technological superiority looked anxious. "Hey, mudboy." He said nervously, "I know this may seem odd... but I was kinda waiting for your call. Listen, there's something... important... we need to discuss..."

At that point, Foaly was violently removed from the image, to be replaced by the anger contorted visage of begrudging ally and frequent irritant Commander Trouble Kelp. "What have you done, Fowl?" The elf bellowed in rage, prompting Artemis to turn down the volume on his computer to keep from waking Holly.

Artemis didn't consider Commander Kelp an enemy, but certainly didn't consider him a friend, either. "I've done several things, Commander." Artemis replied coldly. "Could you be a shade more specific?"

Trouble looked like he was about to grind his teeth down to the roots. "Where is Major Short?"

If Commander Kelp thought Artemis was going to be accommodating after that outburst of an introduction, the elf had another thing coming. "Not here, if that's what you're asking." That was technically true, after all. She wasn't anywhere within his office, and Kelp had no reason to know that she was in fact sleeping across the hall, at least not right at that moment.

"Damn it, Fowl... I don't know what game you think you're playing this time... I don't know what you lured Short into, but it's got her in a mountain of trouble!"

Foaly had to interject on Artemis's behalf. "As I was trying to tell you Commander before Fowl called; he hasn't heard from Holly in almost a month. He called me eleven days ago trying to find out what happened to her."

That explanation killed much of Trouble's rage, and Artemis could now see that the commander was genuinely distressed. "God, man... tell me what the hell has happened. I'm completely in the dark here." Artemis demanded gently.

Foaly stuck his head back into the display, hovering over Trouble's. "Remember when I told you that Holly had taken on a mission to infiltrate the Fey Den?"

"Yes..."

"It was all faked. Holly had forged the paperwork." Commander Kelp said grimly. "Forged my signature to get clearance to go off the grid. We know she went to the Fey Den, but beyond that, she's completely dropped off our detection."

Holly faked a mission? Artemis asked the obvious question as much to the other as to himself, "Why would she do that?"

Foaly's ears dropped, "We were hoping you could give us some insight on that. Kinda hoping that you had some sort of crazy scheme that we could point to and be able to bring Holly back into the fold with maybe a reprimand of some sort."

Kelp explained in more detail, "Now that I look back on it, there were a ton of hints that Holly was going to do something very drastic. About three weeks ago, reports got back to me that Holly was studying some really old case files pertaining to fey transformations, specific ones. When I confronted her about it, she claimed they were for the Human-People Relations class she teaches at the academy.

Artemis nodded. Holly had been particularly unsatisfied with her responsibilities after promotion to Major, and had cited her class as one of the things that had irritated her. Just the fact that she would claim to be doing outside work for it would have been a red flag, as she was notorious for putting as much effort into the class as her students did; the bare minimum.

"I should have been more suspicious." Commander Kelp acknowledged himself. "Holly was growing increasingly discontent with her job."

"Not for no reason." Foaly interjected.

Trouble couldn't even stir the ire to snap at the centaur. "I know, Foaly. I just thought that I'd notice if it got so bad she'd do something stir crazy."

Artemis cut in. "While that's all wonderful and all, that really doesn't tell me anything I didn't already know. Holly hated her promotion, and often felt like she was being singled out by her superiors. How does this all tie into the Fey Den and a fake mission?"

Kelp said, "The specific cases Holly was looking into pertained to People who made deals with the Fey to become human. We fear that Holly... has attempted to do the same."

Artemis had to fight his instinct to look towards his bedroom. He knew such fairy tales existed, but he hadn't realized that it was something that actually possible. "The Fey can do that?"

Foaly and Trouble nodded. "We're talking about old beings that delve in old magic that the rest of the Lower Elements don't even remember." The centaur said. "It's said some of the Fey are so old they remember the Battle of Taillte."

"They're bad news, simply put." Commander Kelp added, "They have a den somewhere in the Lower Elements that's completely invisible to even our technology. Frond, the only reason anyone knows they still exist is when they all emerge every one hundred years then go even further underground for a ritual in the center of the damned Earth. Even if they weren't as slimy as a dwarf's ass hairs, they're just damned creepy."

"Point is, yes... they can physically change anyone into pretty much anything." Foaly said. "But it's not done for free. There's nothing concrete pertaining to what they ask for in exchange, but it can be anything... even your very soul."

"That's one of the reasons we're so worried." Kelp said. "If she actually has done this, who knows what she has compromised in order to do it?"

Artemis cocked an eyebrow. "You say 'reasons', emphasis on the plural."

"Holly's been designated a runaway, and a renegade wanted by LEAF."

Artemis hadn't heard too much about the Lower Elements Armed Forces, a new entity formed after the entire Berserker's Gate fiasco, and the momentarily revealing of fairykind to humans. He knew that Commander Kelp had been furious at losing authority over LEPmarine, which had reformed as LEAFmarine, along with Army and Paramilitary divisions. They served a functional role like most human military machines, while LEP now was now solely a civil law enforcement division.

Artemis also knew that LEAF was not nearly as easy to reason and negotiate with than LEP. Renegades were considered not simple criminals, but traitors and enemy combatants. You didn't get arrested and put on trial anymore. You were shot on sight.

Which also meant that Artemis couldn't come clean with either of them at this point. Saying anything at this point could implicate the two of them as well. "Well, I can safely tell you that I was not aware of anything Holly was planning, and if what you are saying is true, any help you could provide her at this point is nil."

The fire ignited in Trouble's eyes again, and he growled warningly, "I don't believe you for one second, Fowl. You know something... and if you knew the depths of hell that you and Holly have stepped in, you'd have her turn herself in immediately."

"For what? Her execution?" Artemis scoffed.

"I can help."

"No, I really don't think you can, Commander. I think you're an impotent ninny whose inherent distrust of anything above surface level helped lead to the militant organization that has only made the potential powder keg between humans and fairy worse. A man who sat idle while his own subordinate's life was turned into a living hell because of his dogged attachment to proper procedure. I think Major Short can do without any more of your 'help', thank you very much."

"Damn it, Fowl!"

"And if you are so disbelieving of what I had to say, Commander, then let me say something you know is true." Artemis leaned forward, and said sternly, "If Holly finds her way to me, I will fight to the death for her."

Trouble's eyes narrowed at the declaration. It had been a bit of an unsaid barb in their interactions... Trouble and Holly had shared a short fling and the tension between Holly and Artemis had been literally electric at times. Both men either suspected or knew about the affections they each shared for the wayward major, and that knowledge set off unseen sparks and dander in the moment before them.

It was Commander Kelp who backed down, just as he had those years ago when he realized that Holly had already made her choice, as stupid and improper as it had been, in favor of a prepubescent mudboy. "I don't doubt that at all, Fowl. I just hope you don't have to back up your boast. I doubt Foaly here will be able to clone you again."

The centaur piped up, "Theoretically, I certainly could. Practically... LEAF would have whatever location I had chosen burning in blue rinse debris within five minutes of the process beginning."

Kelp offered something resembling parting encouragement. "Good luck, Fowl. Whatever happens. Kelp out."

The call terminated, and Artemis folded his hands in front of his chin thoughtfully. Of course, he knew what those two could only speculate. It was how Holly didn't set off any of his alarms. She had underwent an honest transformation into a human.

At that point, he heard Holly's voice from the doorway. "Did... did you mean that?"

Artemis jerked his head in the direction of the voice with a start, having not realized that Holly had woken. She had wrapped the sheet around herself to maintain an air of modesty – though Artemis felt that cat was out of the proverbial bag at that point – and looked far too vulnerable for Artemis's sensibilities. "Holly? When did you..."

"I heard enough." She replied. "Did you mean it? Would you really fight to the death for me?"

Artemis jumped up from his desk, crossing the distance with three strides, and enveloped the now human girl in a tender embrace, pecking her on the forehead chastely. "Of course I would. You're... the most important person in my life at this point. I couldn't do without you."

Holly smiled at his usage of words, no doubt chosen for specifically that effect.

"Are they right?" Artemis asked. "Is this... a fey transformation?"

Holly dropped her head against Artemis's chest, and slowly nodded. "Yes. I really did it this time, Arty. I didn't do it for the good of the People or the LEP or anything. This was purely selfish. I really honestly broke fairy law... and there's no going back."

Artemis held her at arms length so that he could make eye contact, staring into the hazel orbs as if doing so would tell him everything. "But why, Holly? I knew things were bad... but what happened? What happened this last month?"

Holly dropped her head shamefully. "It starts right where the two of us left off twenty-eight days ago..."