Holly flew over Ireland in a daze. Artemis had said I love you. That was very strange. Last time she had checked he liked Minerva and she liked Trouble. She still did like Trouble. And what Artemis had said was not making her feel all fuzzy, as it would if Trouble had said it, it made her feel empty. She knew that it was probably just her being paranoid, but she had a sneeking suspision that Artemis wasn’t Artemis. Maybe she should check it out.

She flew back to Fowl Manor but this time not to visit, to observe. She perched, sheilded, on Artemis’ window and watched him into the night. Near morning he got up and walked down to the kitchen. All the time Holly watched him through windows as she could not enter without throwing up and probably giving her hiding place away when a large pile of vomit flew out of mid-air. She grimaced. But as the day wore on and she started to get peckish she was forced to admit nothing out of the ordinary was happening. Then something out of the ordinary did happen. Artemis gave a stretch and then a very small piece of skin flaked at a corner of his eye. He walked past a mirror, looked horrified and hastily tucked it back into position with a furtive glance around to check no-one was watching. A man in a mask! thought holly, then frowned. She sounded like that old cartoon : Scoobie Doo. She decided that the best way to figure out what the imposter was up to was to play along and find out.

She rang the door bell on Folw manor. Artemis opened the door and smiled.

” Holly! Nice to see you, come in!” he said this in a distinctley too cheery way.

She smiled back and took his hand, bending in to kiss his cheek and then whisper in his ear, ” I thought about what you said and decided I love you to Artemis.” 

 Artemis led her into the house and up to his room. “I would like to tell you a secret. he said sitting her down on the bed. She lent in and he looked her straight in the eye. Then he did what no human should be able to do and no fairy is alowed to do, He turned on the mesmer.

” I am in charge of you and you will do whatever I tell you to, or rather whatever Opal Koboi tells you to do.” And with that Artemis pulled of his face to reveal an evil looking, slightly sweaty, Opal Koboi. ” Boy, you wouldn’t believe how hot it is in there! I suppose  I should just be grateful he is skinny though, I couldn’t stand another layer!”

Holly just stared at her.

“And the human calls himself a genius! Of course he doesn’t love you elf. I have been putting love drops into both of your meals daily!”

Some other stories by Vinyaya:

• Trouble, on Holly and Artemis
• In The End
• Talent
• Aphrodite ~The Adventure Continues~
• Holly, don't shoot the mailman!