Artemis quickly picked up his communicator. He had to get in touch with Holly now.

“Yes?” came Holly’s drained voice. “Is that you, Artemis?”

“Yes. Holly, Harran is lying, but there is a reason. He is mesmerized.”

There was silence on the other end for the longest time. “Mesmerized?”

“Yes. Do you know of anyone who would want to mesmerize your husband?”

Holly thought. “Well, I can only think of one person. Harran’s old girlfriend that he was dating when he met me. Apparently she was really pissed when Harran dumped her.”

“Who was she?”

“I’m not sure. I’ll have to ask him.” she paused. “Thank you so much Artemis. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

Holly and Harran sat at the table eating dinner. “Harran, you know your old girlfriend? The one you were dating when you met me? What was her name?”

“Oh, you mean Lili Frond? I’m glad I dumped her. She was a total sellout. Why do you ask?”

“Well, I was talking to Artemis today-”

“Artemis Fowl? Wasn’t he your old boyfriend?”

“Yes…?”

“I don’t want you talking to him.”

Holly knew it wasn’t his fault, but she couldn’t help boiling with rage. Who did he think he was? She was going to talk to Artemis whether her husband liked it or not.

“So, her name was Lili Frond?”

“That’s what I said.”

They continued their meal in silence.

Lili Frond sat in her apartment, constantly tugging at the straps of her neon pink halter top. She glanced over at her old boyfriend Harran, who was staring blankly at the wall. Soon, once he gets rid of Holly, we will be together again. That stupid elf.

Suddenly, the phone rang. “Hello?”

“Lili, this is Holly Short.”

“Oh, hi Holly! How’ve ya’ been?” she said smoothly.

“Give it up, Frond. I know you are mesmerizing my husband.”

Lili wasn’t surprised. Harran’s wife wasn’t a complete idiot. “Good job, Holly. I suppose you got Artemis to help you? Well, I have Harran in my apartment right now. I can get him to do some things to you…. nasty things. So if I were you, I’d just forget all about this little conversation.” Lili hung up, examining manicured fingernails. She was going to have fun with this.

Holly dialed Artemis’s number with quivering fingers. Would Lili really get Harran to kill her? Of course she would, she had gone this far. “Artemis?”

“Holly, it’s you! Are you alright?”

“I found out who’s been mesmerizing Harran. Lili Frond.” said Holly angrily.

“I take it that you know this woman?” said Artemis.

“Yes, she was my roommate and comrade in the LEP. She has Harran in her apartment right now.”

Artemis noticed her voice. It was angry, but it had an undertone of great fear. “She threatened you, I suppose?”

Holly hesitated. “Yes. She told me that she would get Harran to seriously injure me if I told anyone! I’m afraid she’ll do it anyway. I’m so weak Artemis, I can’t defend myself. I haven’t completed the Ritual in almost five months! I can’t heal a paper cut, let alone a fatal wound!”

“We have to help you!”

“Artemis, I have help! There are two elves in Section Eight, Vinyaya and Trouble Kelp-”

Without bothering to end the conversation, he closed the phone. He had to get belowground now.

Against Artemis’s protests. Vinyaya insisted they pick up Lili Frond first. Artemis knew that time was of the essence if they wanted to safe Holly’s life.

Trouble, Vinyaya, Butler, and Artemis stood at the door. Trouble knocked twice.

“Yes?” said the blonde elf, opening the door. Her eyes widened as she saw Butler standing before her. “Omigod-” Lili never completed that sentence.

The gigantic ex-bodyguard pinned the fairy’s arms behind her back. “You’re coming with us.”

Lili just laughed. “You idiots. Harran is long gone. Your friend Holly is probably dead.”

A feeling of dread washed over Artemis. Like something very bad had just happened, which of course, it had.

Butler broke the door of Holly and Harran’s door down and the group rushed inside. They were too late.

Harran stood over his wife, looking triumphant. Holly’s still form was on the floor. She was covered in bruises and cuts, and there was a trickle of blood coming from the corner of her mouth.

Trouble yelled when he saw Holly. He immediately drew his Neutrino and loosed six bursts at Harran. He hit the ground with a dull thud.

Vinyaya and Trouble ran over to Holly’s body and laid their hands on her torso. A cocoon of blue sparks enveloped her and barely anything of the police officer’s body was visible. After a few minutes the magical storm died down. Holly sat up.

“Wha- what happened?” she asked groggily.

Artemis helped her to her feet. “Harran nearly killed you. But you’re fine now.”

Holly glanced over at her unconscious husband. “I don’t remember a thing. What else did I miss?”

Vinyaya came forward. “Well, we have arrested Lili. She will be in jail for awhile with Attempted Murder and Mesmerizing Another Fairy. She’ll be locked away for at least 30 years, or more, depending on what she says in court.”

“What about Harran? Will he be alright?”

Vinyaya nodded. “A few sessions in therapy should sort him out just fine.”

Holly sighed with relief. Life was going to be back to normal. Whatever “normal” was.

 

Some other stories by 1crazyhollyfan:

• Shifting Sands
• Still here.
• Heaven at Christmas
• "Foaly's Visit" announcement
• The Long Awaited Part 3 of The Breakup!

Skip to chapter: 1, 2, 3,