A/N: So, here's the next chapter. It's kind of a filler, but I really wanted to put the last part in there.
This chapter is dedicated to DarkNerdGirl for reading and reviewing, and giving the story a chance.
I REALLY hope you like the chapter, my lovely loyal readers. Maybe even enough to review?
Holly finished her meal and leaned back in the chair, biting her lip. What was it that the younger boy knew? Myles knew he knew something he wasn't supposed to, but whether it was something like knowing how grave this situation actually was, or something more sinister, Holly wasn't sure.
"Captain Short." Holly looked up at Artemis' father, eyes tired from the long night, brow pinched in worry. "This . . . this hasn't happened before, has it? Whatever's wrong with Artemis. That's why you don't know."
"Not with a human," Holly said with a sigh. "In fact, I would almost say Artemis isn't really completely human anymore. He's got some of my DNA, not to mention fairy magic." Holly tugged absently at her hair. It needed a wash. In fact, she might take a shower later.
"So you're saying he's part fairy?"
"It's plausible, and it explains why he could resist the Mesmer, which, considering it was Glimmer Vendera who probable enchanted him, is an amazing feat even for a fairy." She looked up at Artemis' parents, looking them in the eyes. "The people owe Artemis a great debt. And quite apart from that, he's my friend. We'll do everything in our power to help him. I promise."
She pushed back her chair stretching her hands above her head. "I'll go check on Number One, then I'll get cleaned up."
"Do you have any extra clothes dear?" Angeline asked.
"I'll be fine, thank you Mrs. Fowl," Holly said, a smile pulling the corners of her mouth up minutely.
She left the table, rinsing the bowl she'd used and putting it to dry. Then she climbed the stairs to the second floor, making her way to Artemis' room. She entered quietly, trying not to disturb Number One, who was probably deep in concentration at the moment.
Indeed, the demon warlock was still by the side of the bed, magic flowing into Artemis, who looked no better than he had when Holly had left, maybe an hour ago; but he didn't look worse either, which was good. The demon warlock's face was scrunched up in concentration, and it twitched a couple of times in the minutes Holly watched silently. Calypso jumped lightly off the bed, padding silently over to Holly and out the open door. The elf followed her.
Holly entered her room, looking around at the riches that surrounded her. The 'priceless' Persian rug, the paintings that adorned the walls. Once upon a time, Artemis would have cared more for the value of these objects than their beauty. But now . . . Holly supposed that Artemis didn't care so much for the coldness of his previous way of life. Absently, Holly kicked off her boots, walking across the warm, soft rug with her bare feet.
Holly moved to the bathroom off the side of the room, taking in her reflection from the mirror over the sink. There were dark circles under her eyes and her cheeks looked a little hollow. Her hair was stuck all over the place, she hadn't had a chance to brush it in a while. Hopefully a shower would help with this.
The elf turned to water on, stepping under the shower head and shivering a little at the biting cold. The water warmed up quickly though, and Holly massaged her scalp gently with the tips of her long fingers. This whole thing was nerve-wracking. Not the shower, of course, this was actually kind of relaxing. But Glimmer Vendera back . . . Artemis in something like a coma . . . all of this was building up a pressure in Holly's skull. Now was really not the time for a headache.
Holly quickly soaped her hair, running her fingers through the short strands before rinsing it out. She stepped out, wrapping a towel around herself before rummaging through the small bag of stuff she had brought with her when she'd gotten Butler's call. Her omni-tool was there, as well as a number of other gadgets. She pulled out a tube of lotion, rubbing it onto the tips of her pointy ears. Ah, the joys of being an elf.
She put the lotion away and wiped at the now foggy bathroom mirror. Her wet hair now hung around her face, and the circles around her eyes were a little less pronounced. A night of sleep, and she'd be just fine. Of course, that was a luxury that might have to give way to worry, and once Number One healed Artemis, no doubt they'd be on another of those stop-the-villain-from-destroying-life-as-we-know-it trips, which didn't really come with a room and a bed.
Holly went to the dresser in the room, which held (as she knew it would, courtesy of Butler) a smaller T-shirt and sweats. A more comfortable outfit than her suit, which, while great in the field, didn't do well domestically.
Quickly, she pulled the comfy cloths on, and walked dried her hair vigorously with the towel. That done, the elf went back to the bathroom to brush her hair and her teeth (not at the same time . . . obviously).
A knock sounded at her door, and Holly went to open it. Myles stood outside it, looking worried.
"Where's Juliet?" Holly asked.
"Trying to get Beckett down from a tree," Myles said, seeming very unconcerned about his twin brother's plight. "I wanted to know how one fights this 'Mesmer'." The boy sketched quotations around the word.
Holly sighed. "Come in then."
"Firstly, what is the Mesmer? I mean, I get that it's supposed to control the mind, but how does it do that?"
"One thing you have to understand, Myles," Holly said, "Is that even fairies don't have a full understanding of magic. We don't know every why or how. There are fairies who spend their whole lives studying magic, and we still don't know everything about it. The Mesmer imposes the will of a fairy, or other magic-wielder, on another being. Essentially, they control the other life-form."
"So how is it fought?" Myles asked.
"You should probably ask Foaly these questions. That's the centaur," she added, seeing the confused look on the boy's face. "As far as I can tell, great strength of will can help dispel the effects of the Mesmer. Most strong-minded humans can't even resist it."
"You said something about Artemis having magic, when you were telling us about all your adventures," Myles said. "So . . . I'm assuming magic helps one resist the Mesmer?"
"Yes, the evidence does suggest this," Holly admitted.
"I'm also assuming that my brother is in more danger than you want Beckett and me to know."
"Probably. I actually am not sure," Holly sighed, running a hand over her face. "But as soon as your brother wakes up, we'll find Glimmer Vendera and lock her up."
"Is it really going to be that easy?"
"Well," Holly said with a sigh, "These things can hardly keep getting harder."
If Holly could have seen the future, she would, perhaps, not have been quite so sure.