did i mention i love the reviews? i is bored and there's an old episode of ncis on and ash was forcibly taken to vermont to go skiing. no, i mean, really forcibly. his parents actually CAME down to the school and his dad pulled him out of class. i'm not going for the reason that the last time i went skiing i ended up in a hospital. damn tree!

We were falling faster and faster until we came to an abrupt stop, my neck practically snapping with the force.

"Sorry," said Christophe. "I though I fixed that. It's a platform and the speed dial thing keeps getting loose. No worries."

"Christophe..." Holly warned and Christophe smiled apologetically. He pushed a button and the windows tinted immediately. A keypad flipped up and he keyed in a twenty number code and scanned his finger prints.

"Sorry," he said. "Lyrissa likes this car a lot and is a bit overprotective. And I just activated the invisibly coating that she painted on the car and windows. Now I am going to need all of you to buckle up because I'm not allowed to let anyone know who we are."

"How do you plan on getting through the traffic?" asked Butler.

"I have an unorthodox driving style. Starting with a parking garage on the west side," a door opened in front of us and Holly shivered despite the car being heated.

Christophe floored the gas and we surged forward. I was really starting to hate that smile he got. I gripped the arm rests as Christophe stayed on the sidewalk, driving somewhere around eighty miles per hour. There when there was a gap in the road he quickly jumped into it, nearly flattening a pedestrian in the process. Christophe turned on the radio and some hard rock song started to play.

"You know, it's actually been a while since I drove a normal car," he said and I almost vomited. "The station is on which exit?"

"Turn left!" yelled Holly and Christophe reacted with inhuman reflexes. "It should be coming up on the right; we'll have to use the back entra-"

Christophe veered into the opposite lane as a minivan took our place. He eased up on the gas just a bit so he didn't burn out the engine but I was thankful. This was a moderately industrious neighborhood and I could see us approaching the front of the LEP station. There were a few pipes lines up around a roped off section of the cracked sidewalk.

Then I saw the tanker truck coming towards us at a rate of 5.12 feet faster than the station.

Of course our little vampire friend did not seem to be the least bit fazed when he even sped up. I closed my eyes as my stomach turned over. It was going to be a long interview if I ever lived long enough to get to it.

Christophe actually drove onto the sidewalk and sped up even more towards the LEP entrance. Even if he hit the break now then we would still clip the side of the truck. He hit the pipes and rammed over the cement. Two of the tires were on the LEP station's front glass and by the way that officer was looking at me I could have sworn that the car was far from invisible.

Now Christophe pulled on the emergency brake while still pressing down on the gas and the front two tires were planted firmly on the building. Christophe really should see a specialist about those adrenalin issues was the only thing running through my mind as he once again sped up. Only this time we were going up a building, defying gravity.

"How are you doing this?" yelled Holly gripping the back of his seat as if there were no tomorrow.

"We have to do something in the summer," laughed Christophe. Windows shattered behind us but the soundproofing of the car reducing the screeching into a pleasant tinkling noise.

We landed with a large thump on the roof and skidded to a halt. I was dizzy but wasted no time tumbling out of the car. Neither did Butler but Christophe got out and opened the door for a shocked Holly who was hardly even breathing.

"Miss?" said Christophe offering a hand. If it hadn't been for the suit I would have said he stepped out of an old movie. Holly was obviously too shocked to think correctly because she took his hand and stepped out of the car blinking doe eyed.

Within ten seconds of the ordeal we were greeted by an army loading themselves onto the roof with rather fatal look weapons. Christophe put his hands up in the air with a sheepish smile.

"I can pay for that," he looked over the edge and down presumably toward the shards of glass littering the pavement.

We had been escorted into the room that observed the girl, Lyrissa. By we I meant myself, Butler, and Holly. Christophe was to be taken into custody but before that he had been taser a number of times for no apparent reason. I wondered to myself if they had police brutality laws.

Foaly sat in front of a number of monitors, all pointing to Lyrissa. I never realized just a beautiful she was. Her copper hair was tied back neatly into a ponytail that fell in waves below her shoulders. There were two strands that did not make it into the tie and they ended at the start of her jaw. She drummed her fingers impatiently against the table with bitten nails. Deliberately not making eye contact with the camera she inhaled deeply but her breath caught.

"What did you do?" she asked in a small voice. I don't think I've ever seen someone so beautiful look so choleric. "Why is he here?"

"Didn't quite catch that sweetheart," I watched as one of the cameras showing the front entrance flashed Christophe onto the screen. "14 November."

"February 9," she got up and her voice choked.

I watched as Christophe took a step forward and Lyrissa ran into his arms. The camera zoomed in on them but they were whispering.

"What's going on?" I asked Foaly.

"Don't worry," he assured. "A sensitive moment is no match for my systems," he tapped on his keyboard and suddenly their conversation came through speakers I could not see.

"I missed you," Christophe whispered to her. "Thank goodness you're alright."

"Don't leave," she begged. "I love you."

That cut through me more than it should have. I composed myself quickly with a glance from Butler.

"I'll never leave," he pulled her closer. "Did they hurt you?" he asked seriously, pulling away a bit and Lyrissa looked away.

"I have to tell them," she looked ashamed as Christophe lifted her onto the table without the least bit of effort.

"They. Will. Find. You." Christophe looked apologetically. "We can't keep this up. You don't have to do this."

"Get him out of there," demanded Root.

"I will tell them everything," said Christophe with his hand on her shoulders.

"No!" yelled Lyrissa making eye contact for the first time. "They'll kill you!"

"Better me than you," he lifted her chin. "Lyrissa, you know this isn't your purpose."

"Your purpose is not to die like this," she sobbed dry tears. "I can't lose you Chris."

"There's no day like living but the one you die," said Christophe. "You can find Artemis, you can shut them down, but you have to be alive to do it."

She was shaking her head, her hair hitting her cheeks.

"I have to go," he said. The door opened and once again guard flooded the room. Christophe put his hands behind his back and was handcuffed. An undoubted electric current ran through his body and he shivered with the pain, not letting it show to Lyrissa. "Tal won't hurt you if you don't say a thing," he kissed her on the forehead before he was pulled out of the room.

"What was that all about?" asked Butler. "Why are you hurting the kid?"

"Because he is more than capable of killing us," said Root. "Their kind doesn't know compassion."

"He seems pretty in love with her to me," challenged Holly. "Enough to give himself up to save her anyway."

Foaly brought up a screen where Christophe was sitting behind a similar table to that of which Lyrissa was still sitting on. He was confessing by the look on his face. Lyrissa lowered herself into a chair and put her head in her hands.

"Don't you dare hurt her," I heard Christophe say. "If you send so much as a static shock through her body I will cut every one of your hearts out. And you can bet your asses that's a threat."

"May I please speak to Artemis Fowl?" asked Lyrissa in a broken voice. "Please? Just for a moment. I promised..."

Her breaths were uneven as if she were crying but just didn't know how. He banged the table leaving a dent in it and glared right towards the camera as if she could see me.

"I know he's there!" she looked right at him. "Foaly? Is that your name? I suggest that you get him and whoever he chose as company into this room in the next sixty seconds or I swear to God I will murder every last one of you until you can drown in your own blood."

"Come on," signed Root. Even I could tell that while her voice shook that threat was legitimate. I walk filed down a hallway that was lined with men that had large guns marked with voltage levels. Before I went into the heavily bolted door Foaly attached some wire to my shirt.

"If she touches you this will shock her back to last month," he said.

Myself, Butler, Holly, and Root all made our way into the room where Lyrissa was sitting patiently. Apparently over her dramatics she was staring at me with a cool glare. I sat in the seat across from her and folded my hands.

"So we meet Lyrissa," I said.

"You're short," she said rather bluntly and Holly rolled her eye in my peripheral vision. "And young. Younger than you should be."

"Why is it you wanted to meet me?" I asked seriously. "You seemed to have made one large deal to get me here and I believe I deserve to know the reason."

She shrugged.

"Have you ever heard the story of Juan Ponce de Leon?" she asked. "A fellow that looked for the Fountain of Youth around Florida."

"Yes I know the story," I said impatiently.

"What he found before Florida was a city of ashes," she said. "A city of ashes and bones and blood where so many had fallen in an unknown battle. In the middle of this utter devastation there was a fountain constructed completely out of diamond. Out of the fountain flowed something accursed. Something that wars would be fought over and innocent would die by its blade."

"What?" I asked leaning forward.

"I don't know exactly what it is for it has many names," she said to me. "A group of beings united to protect the last of the waters. But corruption overcame the society and they became known for their evil rather than their good. They were later renamed the Prsylabas. The less form of them was known as the Caleb. They dried the last of the waters up until there was but a drop left.

"Christophe and I were chosen to protect the water. When we learned what they were planning we could not allow their plan to succeed. We took the water and spilled it across; mixing it with our own blood so it would become useless. The Prasylabas want our heads and won't rest to they get them."

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked.

"When I was still young a wise man once told me what my destiny would be," her head hung but she lifted it to catch my gaze where I took a sharp intake of breath. "At the time I was human and naive. I though he was crazed, soft in the head. But I was wrong and he told me that when I found you, you would save me."

"What did he mean I could save you?" I felt my hands shaking in the presences of such a goddess.

"Some of us can't be saved," Lyrissa took a deep breath. "That's all I have to say to you Artemis Fowl."

She got up and Root had a gun out and pointed in her direction. I also got up, not seeing any threat. If Lyrissa wanted to kill me then she would have already. She held out her hand and I took it. She pulled me towards her until her lips were at my ear.

"Keep this safe," she said in Greek. I understood and I pulled away. "Until we meet again Mr. Fowl," she smiled.

I left the room with Holly and Butler. I looked back to Lyrissa who was sitting with her back straight and shoulders square, still looking at me.

"What was the purpose of that?" asked Butler.

"I have no idea," I said. "May I please use the bathroom?"

"Sure," said Holly and she led me down a set of corridors that led to the bathroom. "I trust you can take it from here."

I went into the bathroom and locked the door behind me. I examined the object Lyrissa had slipped me back in the interrogation room. It was a hexagon wrapped up in a bit of paper. Unwrapping the paper I saw the paper seeing that it was indeed a note.

Dear Artemis,
I do apologize for having lied to you but you very well know that I cannot tell you the truth. At least I hope so.
In this container there is that last of that water they found on Florida. DO NOT TRHOW IT OUT!! Guard it with your life.
My brother, Christophe, he's a martyr and will die for me because I'm supposed to protect you. You, I have no idea how, are supposed to save us all. You think that's big, I'm supposed to fall in love with you.
Just for the record, oracles are sometimes wrong so don't you be holding your breath waiting for that last thing to happen.
I do hope we can be friends,
Lyrissa Elizabeth Alcyone
p.s. shake the box. ONE TIME! If you do it more than once I will find you and hurt you.

I took a look at the two inch hexagon that was made completely out of diamond. Inside of it there was some water that filled it about halfway. I shook it a bit and it turned into a purple smoke. When I looked more closely into the smoke I could see it form into an image. There was myself... and my parents? My father's hand firmly on my shoulder, Holly by my side, Butler even lurking in the background.

What was the point of this? I brought it closer and the image erased, suddenly Lyrissa and I were walking together on what looked like a beach. The sun was setting and she was clinging onto my arm. I quickly put the container into my pocket. I didn't know what it meant or why it had changed but I didn't dare look at it again until I was alone once more.

I closed my eyes and sighed in an attempt to relax but when I closed my eyes all I could see was Lyrissa's face.

--
done with the chapter. please review! click the blue button. or is it purple?