Nope, it's not over yet!

Six Months Later…

Artemis froze as he entered his study, the hairs on the back of his neck prickling with tension and his heartbeat quickening. Someone else was in the room with him.

"Nice to see you again, Artemis."

The Irishman's blood ran cold as he recognized the voice. He turned slowly, allowing his eyes to adjust to the shadows; for once, he feared that he was right. He was.

There was no way the girl could be a hologram or a highly modified clone, for Anna-Maria (yes, it was her) had gained enough weight to no longer seem dangerously thin, and her formerly waist-length hair now reached only a few inches past her shoulders. Yet her bright green eyes sparkled as they always had, full of hidden thoughts and ideas.

"Surprised, Mr. Fowl? I was too." She stood and walked towards him, as much to keep him from believing he was crazy as to keep her own heart from bursting at the sight of him. Artemis didn't step back. He reached out and gently brushed a few strands of her hair away from a pointed ear.

"Six months…I thought you were gone forever."

She reached up and caressed his hand, "Artemis, I know I have a lot to explain to you and everyone else. Just…give me some time."

"I'm listening."

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"When I was surrounded by that fire, my healing managed to keep me from burning. But I soon ran out of magic to heal with, and shortly after that, Catalina's voice was telling me she could save me, but the only way to get out of the fire was to lift me into another time. Unfortunately, my telekinesis and my power to manipulate and create images were keeping me anchored to the present; so I gave them up…forever.

"Catalina dropped me into the eighteenth century, and fortunately for me, the people who took me in were kind and treated me to the best of their abilities. Although I survived, my burns were numerous and serious; and I took days to return to consciousness. By the time I completed the ritual, my burns were half-healed and took longer than they should have to heal completely with magic.

"And," She peeled the collar of her blouse from her neck, revealing a small crescent-shaped scar along her collarbone, "Not all of them healed. I was not returned to our time until about a week ago; and I have been monitoring your activities ever since." Anna-Maria looked up at him now. "You have yet to fulfill your promise."

"Where is the need to fulfill it now?"

"Artemis, that fire was aimed for you. I may have been able to take it for you this time, but next time…we can't risk your injury or loss of life."

"And I have been living innocently ever since the accident, have I? Living under the pretense of your death has been the equivalent of a living death, nothing less!"

"This is hard for me too. Do you think I want to watch you marry someone else? Artemis, for every problem, there is a solution; but sometimes, you may not see the solution until the time is right. It is not time to break the curse yet, it will be broken at the right time by the right persons."

Artemis closed his eyes and thought for a few minutes as Anna-Maria tried to wait patiently. At last, he opened his eyes and looked up. "Very well; I will marry Minerva…but only on the day that you marry someone else."

"Me?"

"If I must marry another, so should you."

"Did you have someone in mind?"

Artemis stood and walked around her chair slowly as he thought aloud. "It will have to be someone who is aware of the existence of the People, someone human; perhaps an old childhood friend of yours?"

Her eyes widened as she processed this but she remained silent.

"Someone who was, at one time, close to you; someone who knew you as well and as long as I have. Someone such as…"

"Julio Ferro." The whispered name slipped between her lips softly.

"Precisely."

"How did you find out about him?"

"I remembered Holly mentioning his name, and I met him by chance in Venice a few months ago. He was wandering around your soon-to-be-inherited manor, looking for clues as to where you might be after all these years. He is currently staying at a nearby hotel; a result of our friendship and connection to you. If Julio proposes to you, accept and I will marry Minerva."

"Artemis, Julio was my best friend; I cannot use him like that!"

"If he proposes, marry him. As any best friend, he will not be able to endure any sadness that you may suffer and will make you happy; that is why you must marry him." He turned and looked her directly in the eye.

"I love you with all my heart, Anna-Maria; and if we cannot be together, I wish to see you married to someone who loves you and will ensure your happiness despite this curse."

She was silent for a moment. "Alright, if you promise to marry Minerva, I promise to marry Julio if he proposes to me. But I will not do anything that will prompt him to do so because he has no other option."

Artemis extended his hand to her. She looked at him for a moment before placing her hand in his. "I promise." He said softly.

He turned to leave, but Anna-Maria called him back. "Wait, Artemis! You'll need this." She slipped his ring off of her finger and handed it to him gently. The male genius felt a stab of pain as the ring fell in his palm.

He slowly closed his fingers around the ring and faced her again, his icy blue eyes connecting with her emerald green ones for a moment. "Domani, incontri con Julio."

A tear slipped down her cheek as he turned and left. "Ti amo sempre."

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