Genna led the way down the halls of the deserted palace to Matthew's room. She didn't know how she hadn't guessed that he was their warder. It seemed obvious now that someone had mentioned it. Actually, come to think of it, how would Matthew know that he was a warder if he feared magic so much? Men always ignored that which they didn't understand or feared as much as Matthew did magic.

"Genna do we have to do this? Why can't we just talk about it tomorrow? It will give us some time to think all this through and Matthew will let down his guard thinking that I haven't told you." Genna looked at Nadine.

"Nadine, we will not loose any advantages over him by talking to him today. He knew that you would tell us and therefore forfeited any time to run around loose. I don't want him to run away thinking that he can escape." They walked in silence the rest of the way until they came to his door and stopped.

When Genna glanced at her, she saw a small trail of tears on her face.

"Don't worry Nadine. We won't hurt Matthew," Thorn said. If she was trying to sound reassuring, she sorely missed her mark. Thorn had tried her hand at romance, practicing on Matthew. She had always made a joke about it when confronted about the subject but Genna didn't think Thorn had given up. She hoped Thorn wouldn't cause trouble. Then again, why should Genna even bother to wish? It was an impossible hope. Genna looked sideways at Thorn.

The girl was smiling triumphantly and was standing as straight as she could with her chest puffed out. Genna would have to make sure she never left Matthew alone with her... Matthew shouldn't be getting in any relationships without her permission- And I suppose he shouldn't be forced into any relationships… especially with a girl half his age.

"Genna?" Genna raised her eyebrows in question.

"Matt isn't going to trust me again. We won't be friends anymore."

Genna's gaze remained hard. It was a shame to destroy such good friendship, and as Nadine pointed out; Matthew wasn't going to trust her again. What a pity. Having someone to act as a lever would have made everything much easier.

"What must be done should be done without delay." She threw open Matthew's door.

Matthew, who had been sitting on his stool making notes in a small pocket notebook, leapt up with daggers almost magically appearing in his hands and let the notebook drop to the floor. Genna was wide-eyed at the speed in which he moved... he was sitting down writing one minute and the next he was standing up prepared for battle. He would be a wonderful warder. When he realized that it was just them, he slipped his daggers back up his shirtsleeves. No one could have said that he 'relaxed'.

"Matthew. Nadine has brought an important fact to our attention," Genna said in a firm voice. In her experience that was the only thing that the male race responded to. Of course, Wrath didn't respond to anything at all unless you managed to piss him off… which only happened often around Genna… She could get under his skin with just a single sentence. On one occasion she had set him off with just a look. Genna grinned slightly- then her smile faded… It was unlikely she'd ever see him again.

Genna glided in and set herself down on the stool Matthew had just vacated. Thorn looked at Matthew for a while, breathing heavily, and then dramatically flounced across the room, with Nina and Nadine in tow behind her, to sink gracefully into one of two chairs. Nina stood.

Matthew's face grew grim and more cautious as he glanced from one face to the next. Than he shook his head and walked over to the door, closed it, and leaned against the wall so he could see them all at once.

"Matt," Nadine whispered. Matthew glanced at her and then noticed the notebook he had dropped. He stalked over to pick it up, but Genna bent down and scooped it up before Matthew had gone two steps.

"Stay where you are Matthew." He grimaced but could do nothing but obey the command. Genna knew how to manipulate the Warder's bond just enough to force Matthew to obey simple commands. Genna looked at the tiny book. (It was a book. It was small, almost pocket size, but thick.) It appeared to be a very old leather-bound notebook and when she opened it to the page with a bookmark; she found a neat and detailed account of his recent talk with Nadine in one of the codes Wrath had taught her. Perhaps it was standard? On the sides there were little side notes in plain writing commenting about what herbs would make the best potatoe soup. The corner of Genna's lip quirked up.

"I'm impressed Matthew. Not many men keep a diary. Perhaps you are a spy?" Genna tried to see what went on behind his expressionless face but couldn't find any hint at all. She didn't think that he was a spy but the accusation might loosen his tongue. No sane man would want to be thought a spy by a Miga. As far as she could see, her accusing glare had no affect on him whatsoever.

She slipped the notebook into the pocket of her trousers. (She did not see the use of wearing a big fancy dress in a forest where it was impossible to walk three steps without tripping five times. The dress would be rags within an hour. Wrath had taught her that, among friends, it wasn't fashion that mattered, but practicality.) Genna had a feeling that she would want to read that later anyway.

"You can't-!" Genna glared at him until he looked away from her face sullenly.

"I am not a spy." Matthew flinched. "That is, I'm not working for anyone but myself," he said hurriedly and then choked. "I mean, I'm not spying on you for anyone but myself." Genna smiled grimly. Matt's eyes were very wide and his face was pale... she had never seen him this scared. It was interesting, however. Perhaps being a Warder prevented him from lying to them? And who did he spy on… besides them, of course. And who did he work for?

"Matt?" He glanced up at Nadine again and then lowered his gaze to the floor.

"Matthew, look at her." Matthew obeyed but didn't quite meet Nadine's eyes. Genna hated how he had lowered his gaze. Matthew had always been independent and strong no matter what happened and now… He went from proud lone wolf to lonely beaten cur.

"You knew that when you let me know I would tell the others." It wasn't a question but Matthew nodded anyway and then returned to his intense scrutiny of the floor with hunched shoulders.

"Matthew, look at me!" Nadine seemed on the verge of tears.

Genna lost her patience and, using Magic, lifted his chin and turned his head so he was forced to look at Nadine. She forced him to stand straight and then made it so he couldn't move at all. It would not hurt anyone and the man was irritating her to a dangerous extent... besides- it made her feel better to be able to force him to stand still. Matthew's fingers twitched and his face paled further until it was almost white- even with his golden skin.

"Stop doing that Matthew. You won't be able to move until I release you. You'll only end up hurting yourself if you try it." Matthew flinched and glared at her. Then he realized that he was glaring at his Shadob.

He glanced around the room without looking at anyone, trying to find something to distract him from the Magic.

"Why won't you look at her?" Matthew considered his answer returning his gaze, once again, to the floor; it should have been harder to do, with his chin tilted up at that angle.

"I… I was a slave for… for many years… I thought that the rules of a Warder wouldn't be much different." There was a long silence.

"I'm sorry. I didn't-"

"Why should you be sorry Thorn? You didn't do anything." Matthew laughed bitterly.

"I'm sorry we made you remember," Thorn said in a small voice.

"Where were you a slave, how old were you when you were first sold, and where were you sold? Who was your owner? How did you become free? Or are you still a slave? You lied to us. No. I guess you couldn't lie. You implied that you had lived in the desert until you were twenty. Everyone knows they don't keep slaves and you can't be more than my age." She loathed asking those crude, cutting inquiries, but she had spent too long building up her mask for him to have it ruined now.

"My most sincere appologies if I offended you Shadob Anna."

"Why do you call her Anna, Matthew? Her name's Genna."

Matthew's eyes widened. His eyes flicked from Nadine to Genna and back again. He bit his lip as he studied her face intently.

"Did you say Genna? Genna Cooper?" Genna glared at Nadine. The stupid girl was smirking! She didn't know why she wanted her real name kept secret against him, but she did. And now the stupid woman had ruined it. How had he known her last name though? She was certain that she wasn't that well known outside of Deashithain.

"That was my business Nadine. I've told you that if you heard something strange just go along with it! Now Matthew, why don't you tell me why the name Genna is so significant to you."

She tweaked her magic so that he was forced to look at her. Matthew's head jerked a bit, but Genna's spells still held him immobile. He said nothing. His eyes had turned inward, as if he was thinking about something very hard. Genna studied him more closely.

Matthew's amazingly bright green almond shaped eyes were slightly narrowed and his face was pale (though, not as pale as before) even through a deep desert tan that made his skin seem to glow golden. His soft chestnut colored hair that he usually wore in a loose ponytail, today cascaded down to brush the very top of his shoulders, framing his face. She had to check herself to keep from running fingers through it. She wondered what it felt like.

He was clean-cut, no beard to speak of but he certainly did not look boyish. He seemed so familiar but she couldn't place him. Maybe a relative of someone she had known, except - If his hair wasn't quite as long and just a bit thinner, not quite so muscular; if he had been wearing ragged clothes and if he did not use an arrogant mask to cover his emotions he could have been- Her jaw dropped.

THANKYOU-FOR-READING

Author's note: Sorry about the lame ending to the chapter. I had twelve pages for this chapter so I needed to cut it down a little.

Once again, I'd love to get a review giving me suggestions on what to fix! Help me out!