Disclaimer:I don't own anything or anyone from Artemis Fowl. It's a shame, in my opinion. ^+^
Open your eyes and come with me
To a place with dancing bumble bees
A turtle flies, a dragon roars
A catfish meows, and a lion snores
We'll climb the steps, we'll take it slow
We'll watch the elephant laugh and blow
The kangaroo and joeys, too
Will be a friend to me and you
We will fly a kite and eat ice cream
We'll travel far to explore our dreams
Go where you like and really have fun
We'll dance and play till the setting of the sun.
~By Susan Adams
As Artemis and Holly silently let themselves into the house, they heard Opal's words.
"Would you like to help me destroy them?"
Holly's blood went cold, and she froze for a moment, until Artemis hissed at her to shut the door. The cold that was seeping in would possibly alert Opal and Alina to their presence, and that would not do at all, so she gritted her teeth and slid it shut as quickly and silently as possible. She was unable to stop it from thumping against the door frame, but the two in the other room seemed not to hear.
Shoving Artemis off to the side slightly, Holly slipped past him, stealing into the kitchen and peeking, shielded of course, around the corner. Alina was sitting, looking stunned, on the piano bench, and Opal was dominating the couch, looking as much like herself as she always had. Holly had to remind herself that this was Opal of the past, because she had no human qualities, unlike the present Opal, who had attempted to become a mud maid.
Artemis came up behind Holly, easily walking silently, and while she was busy looking over the corner, he looked around. It wasn't the largest house, but it did look comfortable. The Christmas decorations were up already, so there were lights strategically placed over several doorways, twined around banisters, and dangling from the eaves outside. All in all, it was a beautiful house, but there was an atmosphere of uneasiness and anger, so it was a little uncomfortable.
He turned his attention back to listening to Opal and Alina, expecting the worst, and was certain that he would not be disappointed.
"I...well..." Alina stammered, knowing what she wanted, but battling with her conscience. She didn't want to kill anyone; merely to get her memories back, and have revenge on the time she had lost them. Maybe she doesn't mean kill them, she decided, then spoke. "Yes. I want to help you, Miss Koboi."
"Excellent," the girl clapped her hands and smiled, somehow more maliciously this time. "I will require you to sign several contracts, of course, and in blood, if you can manage it. Ink is fine as well, but I find blood much more...binding." the girl ran her tongue along her lips, then seemingly conjured a feather pen and papers from air, then handed them to Alina.
"O-okay," Alina whispered, unconsciously, and steeled herself for a stab. She ended up merely pricking the middle finger of her left hand, and signing off with that. The contracts were written in some different language, and Mother had told Alina never to sign anything without knowing exactly what it said and meant, but at this point, Alina truly didn't care. She signed the papers easily, using the same, boring signature that she'd been taught, then handed pen and papers back to Opal Koboi.
On the paper, Alina D. Blau was signed, easily legible. The D was for Danielle, though Alina had never truly liked her middle name. Somehow, she felt much more uneasy now that she had signed it; as if her future was no longer in her hands.
She turned to go bandage her finger, but before she could, Opal grabbed her hand, flushing a torrent of something through her system, and causing the small wound on her own hand to seal up. "There," Miss Koboi said, then dragged Alina down to sit beside her. "Now, my dear Captain Short, you and that annoying Fowl boy may come out. Yes, I know you're there; an idiot would have known. As it happens, I am not an idiot, though you two are sure to think so of yourself very soon."
As Alina watched, a little stunned, a short, fiery-haired girl and a taller, teenage boy walked into the room and sat, the girl on an opposite chair and the boy on the piano bench, eying the keys. It looked as if he wanted to play it, so Alina was about to offer to let him, though she had no idea why, when the girl spoke.
"Why are you dragging an innocent girl into this, Opal?" the one who must have been Captain Short spat, eyes narrowed like a cat's. "Why do you need her?"
Opal's eyes glittered right back, and she hissed, "Because of those idiotic Brill Brothers. They are no longer fit for serving me. This girl, however," and here Opal stroked Alina's hair, causing a shudder to run up and down her spine. "Is much more naive, and more suited than they are. Besides; she hates fairies; why not give her the chance to have revenge as well?"
"You're not that kind," the Captain murmured, then gazed at Alina. "Don't go with her; she's not planning on letting you go once you have what you want."
"Besides," the boy added, "She's insane by all records. You don't know what she might do, or lead you to do."
Alina very, very slowly shook her head, her confusion slowing her down. "I have to. It's the only way to get my memory back. I don't suppose you would have my memory waiting around in a CD somewhere, would you? Exactly. I have no choice," she continued, her words speeding up. "Not that my choice matters anyhow. I matter to no one, except for Elsa...and she is too young to be burdened by someone like me. So no, I will not change my mind."
"She can't," added Opal slyly. "She's signed the documents already, and they are more binding than any other documents."
"Because they're in blood?" inquired the boy, seemingly interested.
"Not only because of that," continued Opal, "But because of the type of document; they bind us together by blood. I have patented them myself; unless I choose to release her – which won't happen at any rate – she is bound to me until my death, or hers. She cannot escape now."
"D'Arvit!" Holly swore under her breath, her eyes fixed on Opal with the intensity of hatred and a touch of sorrow. Even if Alina did hate fairies, Opal was someone Holly wouldn't wish on her worst enemy. Heck; she wouldn't wish Opal on Opal; the crazed pixie was unbearable. Slowly, stealthily, Holly began tugging her Neutrino out of its holster, but Opal noticed the movement immediately.
"Nice try, captain, but it will not be working this time. Put it on the floor, or I will be caused to take drastic measures. May I remind you," Opal glanced at the room in which Elsa was giggling while watching some wacky children's movie. "That there is a vulnerable minor in the vicinity? Don't try anything."
Scowling, but knowing that she couldn't risk something happening to Elsa, Holly carefully set her Neutrino on the floor, kicking it towards Opal. "No, I don't need it," Opal explained to Alina. "It's DNA-coded; we couldn't use it. Even if I bothered taking the time to reprogram it, it wouldn't be as effective as one of my own guns; Neutrinos don't kill very easily."
Laughing, Opal directed Alina to tie Artemis and Holly up with reinforced piton; after a moment of strained hesitance, Alina did was Opal ordered. After Opal left the room and Alina was alone, tying up Artemis and Holly, Artemis found his voice. "You don't have to do this," he urged, and Holly joined in.
"You can choose not to," she whispered, trying to meet Alina's eyes. "Opal isn't a good person to be involved with; she's a murderer. Believe me, I know." Holly watched, beginning to despair when Alina shook her head.
"I can't," the girl whispered, her face twisted, as if it were undecided about which emotion it wanted to exhibit. Finally, it settled with sadness, and she sighed, continuing. "I...I feel like I can't say no. Even if she told me to kill you, I don't know if I could stop myself...did you see before? I tried not to tie you both up, but...I couldn't resist. Maybe she's right about the contract or something...I didn't know that something could be so binding." she winced, then tied off the knots that bound Artemis and Holly back to back.
"They're like that sometimes," Artemis commented, attempting to reassure the girl, if only a little. "You really should have had her read it to you first...but that's in the past, I suppose."
Alina wrinkled her nose. "I suppose...can I ask you to do something for me?"
"It depends on what you want done." Artemis and Holly replied at the same time, then looked at each other over their shoulders.
"Keep Elsa safe," Alina whispered. "Knowing my parents, they'll give her heck when they find out I'm gone. Oh, and one other thing. Don't come after me. It really is better off this way, for me at least."
"I promise I will to the first," Holly whispered back. "But not to the second. Opal isn't something that should be unleashed on humans or fairies, so I won't promise that we won't follow you. I'll try not to hurt you when we meet again."
"Thanks, I think..." Alina hesitated when Opal called for her, but she couldn't resist the pull of Opal's voice. "'Bye...and I'm sorry."
DUN DUN DUN! Chapter four; I can't believe I'm already to chapter four! *faints*
Anyhow...yeah. Alina = Evil slave. Is that too cliche? Ah well...she'll change, don't worry. I won't tell you which way she'll change yet, though; that's the mysterious part! But yeah...I repeat, Alina is not going to be a love interest for Artemis; I totally promise you that. ^_^
So...comments and constructive crit are always welcome, thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoy reading more! *glomps all her readers*