Artemis sat in the kitchen, finally managing to tear his eyes away from his phone. He had finally managed to reach his parents through Juliet. They were also safe, but unlikely to return to the manor immediately. The Fowls had gotten themselves involved in relief efforts in London and felt they could do the most good there. They were actually second-guessing their decision, but they now felt much better with a Butler and the twins in sight.
Fancy that, Irishmen helping to restore order in the capital of England, Artemis thought, a touch amused by the irony. He looked up at Butler, who was washing the dishes from their earlier lunch.
"Well, Butler, my parents are safe. Regrettably, they've insisted on staying. I shall trust them for the time-being despite London not being perhaps the safest place for them to be right now," he informed the manservant.
Butler finished drying a dish and sighed, massive shoulders drooping.
"I'm not exactly thrilled to hear Juliet is going so soon either. She's grown up since the twins became her charges, but going so soon after this whole incident reeks of her struggling to make up for her failure."
"Have faith, old friend. The twins and my parents will not let her behave in too rash a manner," Artemis said, laying a reassuring hand on his bodyguard's shoulder. "We managed to avoid catastrophe and, not to be too conceited, but it would have been worse for Juliet if I, well…"
Died. The word was left unsaid but hung in the air heavier for it. Butler wasn't exactly sure he had processed all of the implications of Artemis' original plan. A clone illegally built by the People to house his disembodied soul. Well, the plan had been put into action. Just not by him. Which led to their current predicament.
"I expect you have some reservations about Opal being in the house, Butler?" Artemis asked, pre-empting his concerns.
"Some," Butler agreed, looking and feeling very much his age. Ten or fifteen years magically older, but the job had worn him down beyond that. Artemis didn't miss the smile lines radiating out from Butler's eyes and felt a drop of melancholy enter his own.
"Now, old friend," he said gently, "not just 'some' I should think. I saw your expression when we brought her out. You looked like you wanted to shoot her right then and there."
Butler nodded, not bothering to deny it. He checked his holster, making sure his weapon was there.
"I still do," he admitted. He shook his massive head. "I can't see the sense in keeping her around when there's even a chance that she's planning the death of everybody in this manor."
He leaned back in his chair, and heard the relatively delicate wood creak.
"Artemis, I'm at the point where I can't even protect you or Holly from a pixie in a straitjacket with muscles so weak she can't even lift her head."
Artemis shook his head slowly.
"That's not true, Butler," he denied. "You have done nothing incorrect in your efforts to protect me," He smiled, a touch sadly. "No, old friend, it's simply my constant obstruction that's been preventing you from carrying out your duties."
They sat in silence for a while, the two of them remembering the adventures that they shared. All the close calls and narrow victories seemed so far away now when before they had been so exhilarating. Near-death certainly does that to you, Artemis thought. Butler must think like this often.
"Butler, do we still have the blend of your penthanol cocktail?" Artemis asked.
"I believe so," Butler replied, knowing where this was going. He was a little heartened by this. Not that he had lost faith in his charge, no not for a second, but the little reassurances were good for his heart. "Are you certain this will work on a fairy?"
"I've made a study of their biology," the genius said, a tad smug. "It will work even better since Opal does not have any magic."
"I'll go retrieve a syringe," Butler said, getting up. He paused at the doorway. "Ah, and about Holly-"
"One crisis after another, old friend. But I'll expect that I'll have to be forthright with her." Artemis was appalled at even saying that.
Butler simply smiled and left.
The only crisis with her is what you did to her lips, he thought to himself.
—
Artemis walked up to the guest room, stifling a yawn. He had to get some sleep in. Certainly, all of human civilization had just been momentarily returned to the paper age, but he could afford some rest before tackling that issue. Saving the world had earned him that much, surely.
But of course, the person who was behind it was possibly still on the loose. "Loose" meaning confined in a highly alarmed, booby-trapped, and monitored guest-room. That said, she had started her plan trapped in an Atlantis maximum-security prison so he didn't hold his breath.
Artemis retrieved a small, black carrying case from his pocket. Within it was a syringe and a cocktail of questionably-legal to outright-illegal truth drugs that Butler and Artemis had worked together to perfect years ago.
Artemis grimaced. The drug had been developed when he was a self-centered brat. After that lie to Holly about drugging her with a truth serum the idea had been planted in his head for just that. A serum that would work on fairies and make them highly suggestible and unable to lie. A human answer to the mesmer, he had justified.
The thought that he had to use it now, even in order to ascertain the safety of his two closest friends, had him disgusted with himself. It really would have been much simpler and cleaner to kill her.
He finally reached the guest room where Opal was staying. Holly was currently with her, so he decided not to knock. Discourtesy was apparently endearing to her.
Artemis put the syringe case back into his pocket and opened the door a touch. It was soundless, as Butler would not permit any noisy hinges in the manor. The door opened up to a scene that made Artemis' breath catch.
The soft light of afternoon sun draped the room in gentle ribbons of light. Motes of dust undulated rhythmically on lacy beams of sun. The room was cool, but felt warm.
Holly, dappled in strips of golden light, had her forehead pressed against Nopal's. The sleeping pixie breathed peacefully, and the elf lifted her head. She smiled to herself, running a fond hand across Nopal's head. The amber figure that she cast in the room reminded Artemis fairies had been creatures of myth and wonder for so long. All the mystique and enchantment he should have felt when he was twelve rushed into him, concentrated in a single, lithe figure.
"A goddess," he murmured to himself.
Holly finally noticed him, meeting his mismatched eyes with her own. She put a finger to her mouth, silencing him. Quietly, she extricated herself from the room and tip-toed over to him. The elf closed the door behind her before she spoke, breaking the spell.
"Alright," she said, running a hand through her undercut, "Nopal doesn't have any magic. Just probed her. Some damage from dark magic rattling around in her, but not a drop right now. Definitely has never done the ritual."
Artemis snapped out of his reverie as he processed this.
"Uh," he agreed.
Are you going to make this stuttering a habit, Artemis? he hissed at himself. Holly noticed his sudden eloquence and gave him a good natured snort.
"Earth to Arty," she teased. "Mission control says there's something wrong with your tongue."
You cut it on a holly, she thought, and was immediately mortified by it.
Artemis followed her line of logic, being close enough to her and also being a genius. Being a genius, he did the correct thing and pointedly looked away from Holly's cherubic, heart-shaped lips and talked shop.
"Ah-hem," he began, clearing his throat. "I notice that you're calling her Nopal. Tentatively, I hope."
Holly nodded, also looking away from Artemis.
"Right, she hasn't completely got me convinced yet. Like you said, the way she acts appeals to me so much it gives me the creeps."
"Which I doubt is the full extent of your feelings. Nevertheless, you didn't confirm she didn't have magic initially, did you? And yet it appears you did not bring mirrored lenses of any kind?"
Holly rolled her eyes.
"You sound like Trouble sometimes," she said and pointed at an eye. "Mirrored contacts, Fowl. I had Butler lend me some. I'm not walking around your house looking like a giant housefly."
"You'd make for a very intimidating one, captain," Artemis said, smiling.
"Shut it, mud-boy, before I show you how intimidating this fly's buzz baton is."
The two smiled at the mild banter.
I have to tell her I'm about to drug Opal in order to get the truth from her.
Artemis knew that he had to be honest and upfront. And yet the thought of explaining the serum that he had developed after kidnapping Holly made him ill. The worst of the lies too, when he had told her she had betrayed her entire People with drugs that didn't exist. But now did.
Perhaps he could get away with a lie of omission. He had no need to tell her. And getting the truth out of the clone was vital. Everyone's safety depended on it in no uncertain terms.
And yet. He couldn't lie to her about this. Not now.
Holly watched Artemis as he struggled with himself for a moment. There was a fond expression on her face. This was a changed person. She reached out, a little hesitantly. After a moment of deliberation, she assertively laid a hand on Artemis' arm.
"You silly mud-boy," she chided, "you're hiding something from me again, aren't you?"
"Holly, I-"
"Arty, it's fine," she interrupted. Holy squeezed his arm reassuringly. "You've got that look on your face. I know you too well and you're tired. It's sweet how you're struggling over whether to tell me something or not, but clearly you've got a reason you don't want me to know." She shrugged. "That's okay. I trust you. Do it when I'm not around. I don't have to know."
Artemis met her eyes, grateful.
"Thank you, Holly," he said, trying to convey just how much he meant it.
"Anytime, Arty," she replied easily. "Are you going in now? She just got to sleep."
Artemis fought down a yawn. Doing that in polite company was vulgar.
"No, not anymore. I think I shall do the same thing as Opal and retire to my room."
"You deserve that after saving the world."
"My thoughts exactly, captain."
They stood there for a while, sharing a look. Holly was beginning to wonder what Artemis was thinking before he spoke again.
"I am very tired, Holly. I believe I may need somebody to walk me over to my quarters."
"Just ask Butl-" she began flippantly. Then she thought about it. An impish smile twitched at her lips.
"Just ask Butler to do it," she said challengingly, a blush starting to creep onto his face.
"Alas, he is quite far away," Artemis said, excitement also creeping into his voice. "I don't believe I will be able to reach him before I collapse."
He made a mock-stumble that turned into a real stumble because of his fatigue and lack of coordination. Holly caught him with little difficulty, catching him around the waist. Gods, for a mud-man he smelled good.
"Alright," she grunted, heaving him back to balancing on his two left feet, "I'll walk you back."
"Thank you, captain."
"...only cuddling tonight, though."
"Of course. What else were you thinking of?"
Holly blushed and said nothing.