"What did you do to them?" Daniela removed her fingers from her ears, and watched her bewitched parents walk off hand in hand; their giggles reminiscent of children.
"It's called a mesmer. Don't worry, It's harmless." Holly's voice seemed less reassuring than usual; the timbre was still low with anger at the boy who stood awkwardly in the corner.
"Are you sure?" The young woman seemed hesitant.
"More or less." Holly waved her away.
"She means to say thank you, Holly." Artemis looked the young woman up and down disapprovingly.
"Shut up!" Holly fought desperately to keep her voice from cracking; tears were already welling in her eyes. "The last thing we needed were two more hysterical humans, you know that."
"This attitude will solve nothing." Artemis's brow twitched slightly.
"There is a homicidal monster in my bedroom that wants to eat your face. I don't really think that you are in a position to talk." Daniela spoke for Holly, who was still very much on the verge of ripping the boy's throat out before the Djinni could get to him.
Artemis winced and bit the inside of his lip. Normally, he would have made a clever remark back at the young woman, but in his current state he felt that it would futile. Instead, looked down at his shoes. "Allow me to speak with the Djinni. Let me tell her where we stand."
"Are you insane? Wait, what am I saying. Of course you are." Holly looked him dead in the eye.
"Holly, I will do this whether you want me to or not." Artemis looked at her in a similar fashion. A dead silence filled the once hectic area. Though Holly was much smaller than the boy, she clearly held all the power.
She sighed, who was she kidding? The quick realization hit her that she could only delay the boy's actions for a while. He would wait for her to talk, but after that he would do as he pleased.
"Well, then let me be in the room." The elf relented, "Don't be pulling any of this 'I need to do this alone,' crap."
"I understand. Daniela, stay with Butler. Make sure he is okay." The boy nodded once.
"Come on, Sweetie. Let's get you some water or something." Daniela led the groggy manservant into the kitchen as Artemis followed Holly up the stairs.
"You cannot get close to her. Stay at a comfortable distance. I mean it." The little elf entered the room, and waved the boy to come inside.
"Hello, there." Marissa sat with her knees to her chest in the middle of her circle. "What brings you here, cutie pie?" She winked at Artemis.
"Keep a distance." Holly hissed.
"Oh, come off your high horse." Marissa cocked her head back, "He's not afraid of pretty little me, is he? I'm sorry, but I just don't have the energy to conjure up a suitable disguise. You need my help, don't you? I'm not inclined to help those that treat me like an animal. I can be perfectly nice."
"Marissa, you are not the first Djinni we have encountered. We know your ways, and you will not be fooling anyone. If you understand these terms we can have a civilized conversation." Artemis leaned against the wall, well out of the woman's reach. He tried his best to look away from the Djinni woman.
"He's blushing!" She cackled, "Poor dear, he's clearly never seen a woman before. Gee, I suppose that makes me his first, Holly."
"As I said," Artemis tried to block out her flirtatious notions, "I know very well that you have marked me. I also know that by doing so you have damned yourself to the same addiction. I can assure you that you will not get to me; that circle will stop you. You can make the pain go away if you help us get to Opal."
"Oh, Honey." Marissa tutted, "You're absolutely right. I do want you, and I know you want me. Aren't you curious what it's like?"
"Shut up, Marissa!" Holly stepped in between the two of them. "I nearly killed you once. I can destroy you."
"You cheated." Marissa whispered to the elf. "You stabbed me in the back. So I suppose you won in the least honorable way. I wouldn't call that a victory."
"You're hurting too." Artemis looked up at the Djinni. There was a new fire in his voice. "You are very clever, and are very good at hiding your pain, but don't think you have me fooled. Your Lysander could not control himself, and you are the same way."
"Yes well, Brown Eyes is much prettier than you." Marissa yawned, "Don't think you have the upper hand. Believe me, I'd be doing you the favor."
"Then I will be on my way." Artemis began to leave the room.
"Wait!" Marissa reached out to the boy, afraid that his threats may be true. "I'll talk to you, but she has to leave the room."
"That's not an option." Holly growled.
"You want my help. I'm willing to give it to you, if the elf leaves the room. It's simple." Marissa ignored Holly's protestation.
"I said-"
"Holly, it's okay." Artemis kneeled to the elf, grasping her shoulders. "Marissa can't hurt me from inside the circle. You know that. I can do this."
"I'll be right outside." Holly glared at the Djinni. "Right outside."
"Thank Goodness!" Marissa hugged her knees closer. "You're right, kid, I do need you. Here's the thing. You need my help, but I can't focus. My head is all...dizzy with desire. Yuck. Is that poetic enough for you?"
"Get on with it." Artemis crossed his arms.
"It's not my fault; I really need that fix otherwise I won't be able to think about anything else." Marissa batted her eyelashes.
"Don't try to deceive me. It won't work."
"Deceive you? I'm just as bummed as you are. If you think I like fantasizing about your face you are wrong. It's driving me insane. Lysander at least had a sexy fool with which to play. Have you ever even seen a mirror?"
"Don't talk about her that way." Artemis found himself growing angrier by the moment. "And I'd be the fool to believe you."
"I'm not trying to be harsh, you could just use a good brush."
"I'm talking about your desire."
"Oh, that. Well, you remember Lysander. He never did kill you. He never came close because he was so wrapped up with Brown Eyes. She was all he thought about, don't you remember? It couldn't have been that long ago."
"Go on," Artemis raised an eyebrow. Marissa rolled her eyes and sat on her knees in a pleading position.
"Please, kid. I just need a little taste to clear my head. I can't take it. If it was just you I'd be able to handle it, but I marked the big guy too. Just give me a little taste so I can help you. Help me to help you."
"You'll kill me." Artemis found her voice all the more intoxicating. Was this what Daniela felt? His own voice felt foreign. It was as if everything was far away, the only think he could focus on was the Djinni woman's voice.
"It wouldn't be in my best interest." Marissa batted her eyelashes slowly. "Your little elf is right outside. She'd kill me. It's not like I could run. I'm completely helpless."
"Holly-" Artemis tried to yell for his almost lover, yet his voice lost any kind of volume by the time it met his lips. "Help."
"Don't worry," Marissa gently cooed. "Just one little taste."
"Just one?" Artemis felt faint. He did not realize when his knees hit the carpeted floor, or when he became just inches away from the Djinni. What a toy he was, yet under her intoxicating smell it seemed all the more reasonable. She just wanted one taste after all.
"Just one," Marissa led Artemis to her the edge of her cherub lips.
The young man could feel himself giving in to his unspoken desires, but perhaps desire was the wrong word. This was something of a physical reaction. While his mind and soul wanted nothing to do with the woman, his body physically reacted to her scent.
Seconds later, their lips met in a binding contract. Artemis wished that he could pull away; he could feel the energy draining from his body. His very veins contracted underneath his skin. The pleasure suddenly turned to an unbearable pain.
"I told you." Marissa smiled as she released the boy from her fatal kiss. "It was just one little taste."
"I-" Artemis looked at her through half closed eyes. Marissa held a single finger up to his lips and silenced his thought. The Irish youth was seconds away from swooning.
"You can come back now, Holly." Marissa's voice rang in a soothing alto melody. "Your baby needs you."
"Artemis!" Holly saw the boy on his knees, with his head in his hands. The small elf was poised to attack. "Let go of him!"
Holly lunged towards the Djinni, but stopped once she came closer to the boy. An overwhelming sense of guilt rushed over the elf. She did not know how to react.
"Relax, Angel Face! I let him go! Watch and be amazed." Marissa let go of any support that may have been keeping the boy in an upright position. Artemis fell sideways onto the carpet and moaned. "It might have lasted a little longer than I planned, but he'll walk it off. He's a big boy."
"I swear I will kill you!" Holly seethed as she ran to Artemis, and cradled him in her arms.
"Wow, your vocabulary leaves a lot to be desired, Angel Face." The Djinni scoffed, "I wouldn't have been able to help you without some collateral damage. It happens, but he's alive."
"I-I chose this. Holly, I made a deal-" Artemis's eyes fluttered open. His normally ivory skin was a perfect shade of green. The boy gasped several times in an attempt to keep his lunch in his stomach, but this proved to be only moderately helpful.
"I let your boy live. I think that makes me trust worthy. It's very basic, perhaps I could explain it in greater detail. You seem kind of slow, but I'll attribute that fact to your elven nature." Marissa winced as she watched the boy dry heave. "I really have no stake in this little conflict between you and Opal, so if you want my help I will give it to you. The only thing is, we gotta do it on my terms. I know Opal. Every little abusive side of her. I hate her just as much as I'm sure you do."
Holly watched the Djinni with questioning eyes. Marissa seemed somewhat sincere, and she had let Artemis live. Maybe Marissa was right. Maybe she had a more important role to play than a mindless Djinni.
Holly understood one thing and one thing only. This Djinni, who had allowed Artemis to live, could very well be their only chance at defeating Opal.
There was little time left to question alternate solutions; too many people had been caught in the crossfire for that. They couldn't keep the Djinni captive until Opal wore herself down. That might never happen.
"I'm listening." Holly said coldly.
Marissa lifted her head and studied the elf. She was genuinely shocked by her reaction.
"This is going to take trust on your part, Angel Face." Marissa's voice grew lower; any traces of a care free attitude suddenly vanished. Her voice now possessed all of the darkness of which she was capable.
"I said I'm listening." Holly gritted her teeth.
"You have got to let me go."
"No."
"I need to report back to Opal; she needs to believe that nothing's wrong. Now this little bondage spell your Brown Eyes placed upon me makes for a difficult sell, but I'll think of something that will cover. I could have killed him, and yet I chose to let him live. Maybe I'm not such a monster after all."
"You'll go on a killing spree. I cannot afford to trust you." Holly spat back.
"Honey, you are running out of options." Marissa leaned close to the elf. So close that their lips almost met. The sweet fragrance filled Holly's senses, but she would not allow it to manipulate her judgement. "What other choices do you have?"
"Many!" The elf lied.
"It's your loss." Marissa leaned back, and hugged her knees once more.
Holly helped the boy to stand, and began to lead him out of the room. "Brown Eyes can come with me." Marissa spoke as more of an after thought.
"What do you mean?" Holly turned around.
"Well, as much as I'd hate to admit it, she could keep me 'in line' for you. She bound me to this circle. Technically, I can do her no harm. Mention my interest in her. See where it takes you."
"I'm not letting that poor girl near you."
"She can make her own choices." The woman then directed her attention to Artemis. "Arty, I know you're groggy, but please tell me that you'll be a good dear and mention me, won't you?"