Chapter Four

The basement, Fowl Manor, a few miles North of Dublin, Ireland

Butler put down the glass on the mahogany table and turned to Artemis. For the first time in a long time he could do this without the demon inside of him baying for Artemis's blood.

"What was that Artemis? It wasn't red wine for sure. No wait, I'm not sure I want to know."

"Fair enough. Do you want to hear the results of my examination?" Artemis sat in the chair opposite, his elbows on the armrests and his fingers laced together like some cliché mastermind.

Butler sighed inwardly and prepared himself for a lecture. Honestly when Artemis talked like that Butler barely paid much attention but this time it was of the greatest importance that he listened.

"Alright. First of all, your body seems to be producing some kind of substance, venom that causes violent metamorphosis or change to the host. In truth it is much more like a virus but infinitely more complex that any the human race, or any race for that matter, have encountered before."

"Are you saying that I've got some kind of disease, Artemis?" Butler managed to keep his face impassive.

"In a way. But this thing, whatever it is, won't kill you. Some viruses kill within days, the clever ones keep their victims alive for longer. And that is what this virus does, it prolongs you existence for as long as possible. For example once the venom or virus, or whatever you want to call it, enters the bloodstream it begins to change you, right down to your DNA, to make you as indestructible as possible. After three days the changes are complete. And you are now ready to go and infect another."

"And the changes Artemis what are they? What Have I turned into?" There was an almost undetectable note of panic in Butler's voice.

"Heightened strength, speed and senses. Your teeth are sharper than a diamond tipped razor blade. Your skin is tougher than a wall of re-enforced steel. In fact it was almost impossible to cut." Artemis paused to pick up a strange looking tool with a sinister dark edge.

"Obsidian or volcanic glass. Because of the way the atoms are arranged the edge is incredibly fine, sometimes as thin as one molecule thick. It is incredibly sharp but very fragile. No good as a weapon but perfect for a surgical tool. Just the thing for piercing vampire flesh." Artemis said giving Butler a nervous smile.

If he had been able, Butler would have gone pale. He stared at Artemis hoping he would start laughing and telling him it was a joke. But Master Artemis almost never joked.

"So is that what I am?" whispered Butler his voice almost inaudible, "A vampire, a monster?"

"No Butler," said Artemis, as kindly as he could. "You are whatever you make of yourself," When Butler remained unconvinced Artimis picked up the glass from the table.

"You see this, my friend?" Artemis gestured to the last drops of red liquid in the bottom of the glass I his hand.

"It looks like blood doesn't it? It tastes like blood even smells like blood, human blood, doesn't it?"

The greedy monster inside of Butler agreed wholeheartedly.

"But. It. Isn't." Artemis insisted firmly, putting emphasis on each word as he taped the glass with the mismatched fingers of his left hand (read the 5th book). Butler glanced up, surprised.

"This is an organic compound I've synthesized. It's not actually blood but it has almost exactly the same propert-"

"Wait Artemis," Butler raised his hand cutting another lecture short. "It doesn't matter what it is, blood or not, I still can't-" Butler's voice caught in his throat, as all the horrific things that could have happened if he hadn't been able to control his hunger came to mind. Whatever that concoction of Artemis's was it couldn't stop that, the lust for blood had almost consumed him.

Artemis lent forward and put a comforting hand on Butler's shoulder.

"Butler listen to me. Whatever the problem is you can overcome it. You are the best bodyguard in the business and have more self control than anyone I have ever met. Did you always have that? No! You had to work to get where you are, you had to push yourself to the self to the limit of your endurance and then you had to get up and push yourself further. It's just the same now. This problem is nothing, all you need is practice. Now come on friend, come outside and stop sulking in your basement."

Just outside Fowl Manor, a few miles north of – Agh, forget this. You all know where it is so I'm just going to get on with the story.

"Ok, Felix. Are we clear with the plan?" A note of annoyance had been creeping into Demetri's voice over the past few hours. After spending the entire plane journey from Italy to Ireland with Felix, the tracker was thoroughly fed up of his travelling companion. Demetri didn't know if he did it on purpose but Felix was really driving him crazy with his stupid suggestions.

"Yup, we go in there and smash some heads, just like the boss said." There! He was doing it again! Was there really any brain in that head of his?

"Aro never said that! Plus we can't just 'go in and smash some heads' we have to be clever about it!"

"Don't see why. Look we smash our way in find the targets and squash 'em. What could be simpler?"

"We can't do that! Aro said to get them alive idiot,"

"No he didn't!"

"Yes he did!"

"No he didn't!"

"Oh no don't start that again!" Felix grinned. They'd already been through the yes he did, no he didn't routine about thirty times on the plane and Demetri lost every one.

"Anyway that Artemis, or whatever he's called, drove of a vampire without even lifting a finger. Must be quite a clever human, hmm? We don't want to under estimate him." Demetri hissed in a poor attempt to be civil.

"Hmm... Artemis. Isn't that a girl's name?"

"That's not the point," Demetri hisses again, "The point is that we can't just-"

"No I'm sure it's a girl's name," Felix interrupts stroking his chin.

Demetri gave up and turned to the two local vampires he'd drafted in to help. "Are you pair clear on the plan" he snarled. The two vamps nodded slowly.

"I still don't see what they're doing here. We could handle this job all by ourselves, or I could anyway," Felix chipped in with another annoying comment. Clenching his teeth, Demetri turned to him.

"Right, Felix, you are going to be quiet now or, so help me, I'll have to kill you,"

Felix gave a small bark of laughter "If you could you would have done so already. I'm not afraid of you Demetri. Now are we going to go and nab this Fowl bloke or what?" Demetri silently fumed. Felix had a point, he was head and shoulders taller than Demetri but, he would soon find out if he didn't shut up, that size wasn't everything.

Fowl Manor Garden, a few miles north of Dublin, Ireland

The sunlight thing was a myth, Butler had found. He had carefully poked one toe outside the house to find out, tensed to pull it back in if it should burn. Artemis had found it terribly funny for some reason. They were now sitting in the garden around a table discussing whether or not to tell Holly and the LEP about Butler's sudden transformation.

"But Artemis, with the help of the People, we're sure to be able to find, not just help but maybe even a magical cure," in the past few minutes, Butler had been able to regain control of his emotions and not an hint of hope entered his tone. "Maybe No.1 can help,"

"Not possible," Artemis sighed, one elbow on the table, his hand on his forehead. "I've analyzed the venom and the virus is of a magical base. Therefore magic will have no effect on it. Look Butler, I'm not even sure there is a cure to be found, I think we should just-"

Suddenly, a loud crashing sound filled the air, like two boulders had collided. Pinpointing the sound, Butler turned to the wall the surrounded the Fowl estate. It looked like someone had smashed themselves a six foot hole with a wrecking ball. Two men in dark iron grey cloaks, almost black, strode through. One of them was about as tall as Butler had been before his transformation and only just fitted through the hole he'd made. They both leaked an air of menace and violence that promised as swift and painful punishment if crossed. Following them came two people in ordinary garb who lacked the ominous presence of the other pair, but still seemed a little spooky. Despite these differences, there were three things that linked all four of them and identified them as a serious threat. One: their ice white skin, so akin to the unearthly parlour of the woman who attacked him. Two: their scent so similar to his own. And finally: their hearts did not beat and they did not breathe.

"I told you to be subtle, you idiot," The smaller cloaked vampire scowled up at the taller one.

"Oh quit you whining, Demetri, you sound like my mother," a slow grin split the face of the taller vampire as he waved his hand dismissively and the one called Demetri.

"You never knew your mother, Felix,"

"Agh, so cruel," Felix sniffed, wiping a fake tear from his eye.

"And now look what's happened, if you'd just listened for one moment you would have known what to do and stuck to the plan-"

"We had a plan?"

"Yes! I only explained it to you like six times!" Demetri's voice was laid thick with sarcasm.

"Nevermind, plans are overrated, we're here now aren't we?" Felix rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

Demetri put his head in his hand, closed his eyes and counted to ten. Opening his eyes, he pointed at Artemis.

"Get the adolescent," licking his lips, Felix sprang at Artemis. He almost got there before Butlers foot whipped out, colliding with his chest sending him sailing across the patio. Sitting up, Felix groaned in pain. He glanced down at his broken ribs.

"That's not possible. . . ." he whispered.

As the two local vampires sprang, Butler reached forward and encased their heads in one mammoth hand each, lifting them a few feet of the ground, before crushing their skulls between his fingers. Butler let go and stepped back, as the two figures fell to the floor. Dead. He had acted purely on instinct and was as shocked as Felix over what he'd done.

Demetri, who had been about to throw himself into the fray, stared, first as Felix, then at the two local vampires in disbelief. This was not how vampires could be killed. They could not die this way! The only way to kill a vamp is to burn it. Yet there they lay, unmoving. Dead. Dead!

"Come on," he hissed harshly at Felix turning sharply to the hole in the wall.

"No way! Party's only just starting!" Felix complained,

"NOW!" Demetri screeched, Felix picked himself up and followed Demetri out of the hole in the wall. He knew when he was beat.

A sinister silence filled the garden after their departure.

Butler turned to Artemis.

"Who the hell were they!?!"