Joan paced back and forth across the width of the cave mouth. Scathach sat on a rock deeper inside the cave. They had been in those positions for an hour and still were no further to finding Everett that they were when they started.

"Hekate's going to guard the cell herself, of course. She's never going to leave it unattended after what happened when I escaped" Scathach muttered. She had tried to send all of the bad memories to the back of her head, but they wouldn't let her concentrate.

"Maybe if we… no" Joan sighed.

"We. Are. Stuck" Scathach sighed.

"Stuck? I wouldn't say that" A croaky voice called from further into the cave. Scathach jumped up and the two immortals cautiously made their way towards the voice.

"I would say that you've got a problem, but you're certainly not stuck" The voice made a strange sound that Joan realised was supposed to be a laugh.

Scathach drew her nunchuks.

"Oh no, dearie. You won't be able to defeat me"

A small man stepped out from the shadows. He was wearing a long brown robe and had short, spikey, greasy red hair pointing towards the heavens. He had a huge grin stuck on his face, showing rows of needle-like teeth. Scathach cautiously sheathed her.

"I am Thenneth"

Scathach gasped. When she was growing up, her brother had told her about a smell, imp-like man. He was first and foremost a deal-maker. He would make deals with anyone and had a certain way of dealing with things. He would find out your problem and then make it into a challenge. If they failed, they would be subject to a life of servitude to Thenneth. Argintine had told her that he had once tried to make a deal with Bastet. As soon as he mentioned her servitude, she became angry. She cursed him forever to bear a wide grin no matter his current emotion. He was never able to make another deal from then on. Legend had it that he is determined to make just one more deal. He needed a servant to get his revenge.

Argintine had told Scathach that he would call on Thenneth if she didn't behave. This worked until Scatty was about seven, when she realised that Thenneth was a myth. Or so she thought.

"You're not real" Scathach muttered

"Oh yes, I am very real" Thenneth laughed, his expression unchanging.

"Anyway, I have a deal for you"

Scathach groaned. This man was not to be trusted. A life of servitude did not sound good. Failure was not an option. Then again, she had to save Everett. It was her only hope.

"How can I trust you?"

"My word is my law" He said simply.

Joan came up behind Scatty and was about to say something when Thenneth temporarily removed her voice. He couldn't have anyone changing the Shadow's mind. Scathach was desperate. And desperate people do desperate things.

"What is the deal?" She whispered. Thenneth grinned a little wider.

"Well, you want to find your guy. I like to keep up with the gossip" He explained when he saw Scatty's look of surprize "I can help you. I have this" He produced from his robe the Gem of the Humani.

"How did you-"

"I have my ways. Anyway. You can exchange this for your man. Hekate has a certain fondness for this little rock. You will make sure that Hekate is holding this by midnight tonight. If she isn't, you will become my slave. It will be grand to have the famous Shadow as my servant"

"But-"

"And then there is the little subject of my payment"

"But I will be your servant if I fail" Scathach said. "Isn't that the payment?"

"Ah… you see, the servitude is more… insurance. You can't get something for nothing, or nothing for something, for that would be equally unfair on your part. Your end of the deal must be paid for me to pay my end. If your end is non-existent, and therefore so is the deal, and therefore so is the insurance. You would be cancelling out the deal if you carry out the plan as you plan to, for if there is nothing on your end, there would be no point in me holding up my end. Contrary-wise, if you decide to hold up your end of the deal, then you seal the deal, and I will give you the gem as my end of the deal. If you fail your end of the deal, then I will come to collect the deal's insurance. I will not fail in the giving of the Gem of the Humani, so there would be no point in having insurance of your own. I could, however, place insurance on the insurance, but that's going a bit too far, don't you think?"

He had lost Scathach at insurance.

"er… yes?"

"Good answer. Now, my price. I want you to give me that" He said, pointing to the old wristband tied around Scatty's wrist.

"Oh…I-"

"No wristband, no gem" He smiled.

"Well…" Scathach sighed. It was the wristband or Everett. She was sure he wouldn't mind if she wasn't wearing it.

Thenneth produced a golden contract seemingly out of thin air. Joan eyes widened and tried to get Scatty's attention. Thenneth, with a flick of his wrist, tied Joan to the wall, not letting Scathach see. He held out a red and silver quill. Scathach held back for a minute.

"Everett can't wait forever" Thenneth whispered to her "Hekate will kill him. A little wristband isn't going to be that important. It's just a small trinket. And the servitude is just insurance. Just sign the paper. It's not hard. I can help. If you don't take this deal, Everett won't be able to forgive you. You're being selfish. And a coward. You need my help"

Scathach grabbed the quill and signed the paper. Joan fought against the invisible binding. This man was not to be trusted.

"Why, thank you" Thenneth laughed. He dropped the Gem into Scatty's hands and disappeared. Joan was released and her voice was returned. She ran over to Scathach and pinched her arm.

"Hey! What was that for?!" Scatty said.

"That was for making that deal. That is officially the stupidest thing that you have ever done. Servitude?!"

"You're probably right, but I had to. Besides, you didn't try to stop me"

"I couldn't- you know what, let's just go" She sighed "We only have three hours"

Thenneth appeared in front of Hekate.

"Have you got it?" Hekate snarled.

"Did you ever doubt me?" Thenneth said, holding out the wristband. Hekate grabbed it.

"My payment?" Thenneth asked, his grin large on his face. Hekate sighed and placed her hand on his face. His face relaxed and the smile dropped from his face. He felt his face and smiled. He was free. Thenneth left.

Hekate made her way down the corridor towards the cell. She opened it to see Everett sitting in the corner, staring at the walls.

"Scathach is dead" Hekate lied.

Everett stared at her.

"You are lying" he said determinedly.

"No. She came to save you, but after seeing the danger you were in, she was killed trying to flee" She lied.

"That isn't true. She would never do something like that"

"Oh really, then how come I have this?" She said, holding up the wristband.

Everett paled and fell back to his knees. She had died. She had died running away. Tears fell from his eyes.

"Now, you are going to help me with something" Hekate said.