Artemis Fowl: Opal's Revenge Chapter Ten

Artemis ran out of the house, horrified at what he had just done. Even if Opal left him control of his body, he would have just kept running. He couldn't go back and face what he did. His own mother-gone-because of him!

"OPAL! HOW COULD YOU!" Artemis screamed.

Opal made his body shrug. "Too bad for her."

He had managed to gain control over himself for a few seconds, when he seen his mother, enough to try and warn her to get away. But Opal snapped it back and now…

The images of his mother flashed through his mind:

Her screaming as the magic shocked her.

The blood dribbling from her neck after he stabbed her with the glass.

Her shaking hands and the agony in her eyes.

The way she looked at him-unable to believe her own son would kill her.

And her last words:

My son.

Artemis screamed in agony and anguish in his own head. Opal, thrilled that she may have finally broken the Mud Boy's spirit, laughed.

"Oooh," she said, progressing into a baby voice. "Feeling a little sad? Do you miss mummy? Oooh, does da widdle Mud Boy miss his mummy. Oh, boo hoo."

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" shrieked Artemis, his sanity snapping for a moment.

He managed to get control back and collapsed on the ground, near a rock. He smashed his head into the rock, repeatedly.

"DIE! DIE! I DON'T CARE IF I DIE! JUST GET OUT AND DIE! I DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE!"

Blood blossomed from a grisly wound on his head. Opal hissed and resisted.

"STOP HURTING YOU-ME-US!" she shrieked. "I NEED THIS BODY!"

Artemis collapsed on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. Opal tsked-tsked to herself and retreated, unsure of why Artemis was sometimes now able to regain control. She would have to think of this and let the body rest. Her magic would heal it.

Artemis sobbed for his mother, and clutched the grass, before slipping into unconsciousness.

Holly lay on the floor of the lab, moaning in agony. The acid was gone, and her face was fine. She could see again. She felt her stomach and winced. She was bleeding. She couldn't heal the wound with the glass stuck in it. She looked around at Butler, gasping. He was still breathing. Good. What had made Artemis go downstairs?

She dragged herself to the door, wishing No1 was around. He had asked permission for him and Mulch to go into the woods behind the house. Holly had relented. She wished now she hadn't. If they had been here, No1 could have just swirled his runes about a bit and sent a spell flying at Artemis, to knock him out.

She got to the stairs, and began to try and crawl down them. She looked at the hall-

Her heart almost stopped.

She slipped and tumbled down the steps, screaming in pain at her wound. She landed with a thump on the rug and whimpered, turning to look.

Angeline was on the rug, bleeding from the neck, her eyes closed. She didn't look to be breathing.

"Nooo," groaned Holly, dragging herself over. She felt for a pulse.

Nothing.

Holly laid her head on the rug and sobbed.

The door opened and No1 and Mulch ambled in. No1 was holding a frog.

"These don't swear like the ones in Haven-what the-?"

No1 stopped short and Mulch froze.

"She's dead," whispered Holly. "Opal killed her. And now she and Artemis have gone, I don't know where."

No1 rushed over, looking stressed. He hated to see people suffering or death. He felt for Angeline pulse.

"We can bring her back!" said No1. "I know Qwan told me not to bring people back, because it's considered interfering, but we can't let Artemis mom die! Think how devastated he'll be! He'll never forgive himself. Angeline might not be fully gone, just yet."

"Okay," said Holly, wiping her face. "Do it!"

No1 gently pulled the glass from Angeline' neck and rolled her onto her back.

"Let me get that out of you," said Mulch, pointing at the visible tip protruding from Holly's belly. "Here, put your arms around me and hold on hard, and I'll yank it out quick, okay?"

Holly nodded, gripping Mulch hard. She knew this would hurt, but better to get it over with.

Mulch took a firm grip as much as he could on the tip and yanked it. It came out half way and Mulch grip slipped off because of the blood.

"D'ARVIT!" swore Holly, swinging at Mulch's face. Mulch ducked.

"Sorry! Sorry!" he gripped the glass again and yanked it the rest of the way out.

Holly screamed and swore again. The last of her magic fizzed around the wound, healing it.

"Thanks Mulch," said Holly. She looked at No1 who was chanting something under his breath, his rune wriggling about.

He touched Angeline neck wound and healed it, then placed his hands on her shoulders sending his magic flowing in.

"Please."

Angeline could see white light. She wasn't in pain anymore. She felt light and free.

She remembered her son. Arty. She couldn't go yet. Artemis needed her.

"Angeline," said a voice. "Please come back."

"I need to go back!" said Angeline.

She suddenly opened her eyes and found herself on the floor. A strange looking thing was standing over her, funny patterns wiggling on its chest and face.

"It worked!" said Holly next to her.

Angeline touched her neck. No wound and no blood.

"Where's Arty?" she asked. "He attacked me."

"She needs to go back to her friend's house," said Holly. "She doesn't need to think of this, at least for awhile. She'll go nuts looking for Artemis."

"Where is he?" asked Angeline, sitting up, looking at Holly.

Holly locked eyes with her, using the last drops of magic in her system to mesmerize Angeline.

"You're just getting some clothe and going back to your friends house, to help with the baby," said Holly.

"I am?" asked Angeline.

"Yes," said Holly. "You won't remember any of this. You checked on the family and everyone is fine. You'll be at the Dunphee's for quite a few days. You'll act normal and forget all about this."

"Yes," said Angeline. "She'll need help, especially with her twin running amok with my boy. Why is there blood all over my Turkish rug?"

"There is no blood," said Holly. "There never was."

Angeline blinked. "Oh, yes, of course, that would be silly."

She went upstairs and packed, and then left the house with a cheery goodbye.

"I feel guilty about that," said Holly, after No1 filled her up with magic.

"We had to do it," said Mulch. "She'd go searching the grounds for her son, and probably get killed again."

"Now, we have to find Artemis," said Holly.