A/N: I know I haven't said this before but I don't own Artemis Fowl or any of the characters except Althuna Cutriana and the plot. Anyway, thanks to spirochick39 for reviewing. Thank you, love ya lots. Also, I have now finished reading The Lost Colony. It is BRILLIANT! Right, now on with the story.

Chapter 7: Questions and Answers

Holly and Artemis left Butler to deal with Althuna as they made their way up to Artemis' study. The boy typed in the code to unlock the doors and then pushed them open. They both entered the room and Holly took a look around. The room was huge. It had a sofa and a couple of chairs in there, a desk and loads of technology. After a moment she realised she had her mouth hanging open so she closed it and then went over to the desk where Artemis was sitting. She pulled up a chair next to him as he pulled out the fairy communicator. After a moment, the centaurs face appeared on the small screen.

'Hey, Fowl, what can I do for you?'

'Foaly, we have a problem and I have no idea how to fix it.' For a moment the centaurs face was blank but then he started to laugh. 'Foaly,' Artemis said angrily, 'This is serious.'

After a moment Foaly composed himself. 'OK, what's the problem?'

'The girl who killed her grandparents, Alicia Thomson, is now unconscious after trying killing us all.'

'How, I'm sure she's no match for Butler, even if he's a bit older now?' asked Foaly confused.

'Yes, well, that would be the case if she wasn't able to electrocute and fry you.' At this statement, the centaur winced.

'Do you have the footage of the attack?'

'Some of it, she knocked out all the cameras so we only have some of it. I'll send it to you now,' Artemis said as he booted up the computer in front of him. It only took a moment and soon the boy genius was typing furiously across the keyboard. Below ground, an icon flashed in the corner of the computer screen in front of Foaly. The centaur played the footage he had been sent. As he watched it, his face grew longer and longer in disbelief. He turned back to the communicator.

'But that's impossible!' Foaly muttered, more to himself than Artemis and Holly.

'Well?' Artemis asked impatiently.

'Uh… This girl, have you asked her about her powers?'

'We haven't really had time since she's been trying to kill us,' he replied sarcastically. Holly punched him on the arm.

'This is no time to joke around,' she hissed. Artemis nodded as he rubbed his arm and turned back to Foaly who was busy typing furiously on his keyboard. A frown creased his forehead. After a moment he looked up. Artemis and Holly waited patiently for him to speak.

'This girl, she shouldn't exist. There was this race a couple of centuries ago. They were half-fairy, half-human and they also had a bit of demon blood in them. Don't ask me how. Anyway, these hybrids were old. I mean millenniums old. Then all of a sudden, they were never heard or seen of again. When they were still around, they showed powers like the ones this girl is showing. Everyone assumed they died out.' Foaly's face blanked out to showed a shot of Althuna from the security cameras. 'If you look here,' he said as he circled Althuna's ears, 'You can see a small point on her ears.'

'Is there any way we can bind her powers so she can't hurt anyone?' Holly asked.

'There is one way but it is extremely dangerous. I would have to come above ground to do it but it should work. Meanwhile, Holly, you could mesmerize the girl and find out what she was looking for and find out more about her powers and the hybrids. I've got to go now though. I'll try to come to the surface as quick as I can. I'll let you know when I'm above so you can pick me up. See you then,' Foaly said as he cut the connection. Artemis shut the communicator as he stood up to go back downstairs. Holly stood for a moment looking thoughtful. Artemis noticed this.

'Something wrong?' he asked.

Holly shook her head. 'No, it's nothing.' He nodded as they left the room, heading back downstairs. They found Butler in the cellar with Althuna. She was still unconscious.

'What did Foaly say?'

'Apparently she's some sort of hybrid with fairy, human and demon blood in her. That's how she's got her powers,' explained Artemis. 'Foaly's going to come here to try and bind her powers. Could you wake her up so that Holly can mesmerize her?'

Butler nodded. He made his way towards Althuna.

Meanwhile, Althuna felt like a ten-ton truck had hit her when she woke up. She could hear some one talking but it sounded far away. She tried to open her eyes but couldn't manage so she concentrated on the voice. It sounded like the pale youth who had captured her. He was talking to some one. Apparently she's some sort of hybrid with fairy, human and demon blood in her. That's how she's got her powers, said the voice. She began to panic but told herself to calm down. So they knew about her powers and what she was. The voice continued. Foaly's going to come here to try and bind her powers. Could you wake her up so that Holly can mesmerize her? So they had a fairy with them. That made things more difficult. She heard footsteps and then some one tilted her head and pinched the nerve cluster at the back of her neck. She immediately felt the blood and strength return to her limbs. She opened her eyes to find the giant known as Butler looming over her. He pulled her to her feet and kept a firm grip on her neck. She looked around and saw the pale youth called Artemis. She also saw a short, auburn haired, brown-eyed elf. That must be Holly, she thought. The elf stepped foreword and spoke.

'Why did you kill your grandparents? What were you looking for in their house?' Althuna heard the elf's voice. It sounded like a choir of angels. She knew instantly what she was doing and fought it as hard as she could. Holly said it again, adding more power to the mesmer. Soon, Althuna gave in and answered the questions she was asked.

'I killed them because they didn't give me what I want.'

'What do you want?'

'The Ebony Key,' Althuna said in a dazed voice. Holly glanced at Artemis and he nodded.

'What's the Ebony Key? What does it do?'

'It opens a door in dimensions and allows the user to enter different times.' Holly looked at Artemis again and he shook his head this time. Butler pinched the nerve cluster at the back of Althuna's neck again and she fell to the floor, unconscious.

A/N: Hope you liked that chapter. Please review, I love reviews. Thank you, bye!