The spiders are getting restless. It's late, and still, I haven't figured out the mind-reading business. Gene and I have been at it for hours. We have only taken a break because our heads hurt, and throwing all my will at her mind is getting me nowhere. Now I'm watching the spider queen teach me how to read minds from the memories she sent me.

Still, nothing new is gained. Once again, I'm trying to wrap thoughts into pure mana a pull it. So far, I have tried all methods of pulling. Still, I can't steal any thoughts from Gene,s mind. We tried numbers, colors, feelings, shapes, and objects. Simple ideas and complex thoughts.

One time we just sat there staring into each other's eyes. That got a bit strange, and we decided to take a break. Something is unnerving about looking into someone's eyes intensely for any amount of time. It isn't natural. You start to wonder what they are thinking, and then you wonder what they think you are thinking. Just sends a chill down the spine.

Annette did mention that stronger emotions are easier to read. We pursued that path until there was no more road to follow. I had Gene think of her people, revenge, rituals, and anything else I could think of.

I even tried the emotions that plague my heart. I thought of the sand, scorpions, the sun, death, and even the creepy spider eggs I'm sure are still inside me. There's no way I died enough times to be cleansed of all the spider eggs.

Right now, we're inside Gene's shadow. The spiders and Gene are curled up, sleeping, or dead. Gene has chosen her wolf form due to it being warm and comfortable. The spiders look like they could be dead with how their legs are tucked in tight. To be sure, I check the energy and find no death lingering around them.

Maybe a dead spider is the trick. Bones did say the scorpses talked to him. Not that I trust Bones and what he says. The guy says a lot of things. If he was telling the truth, maybe the answer to the problem is reanimating the drained spider.

It is a risky gamble. Either it works, and the spiders hate me for messing with their dead even though they have already messed with it. At least I will know what they are thinking, or it doesn't, and they eat me like they did their sister. Too many variables at play.

I can't sleep. Our plan is on hold because we can't discuss the plan with the spiders. As soon as I figure this mind reading out, we can be done with all of this and make our way towards our new home.

Even though I've never been there, I'm ready to settle down at a place I can call home. I'm more excited about the new locations than I thought. I really liked the life I had going at base camp. Company was pretty good, and the transformation of the den into a home was something to be proud of. At the time, I knew it wasn't long-term. Eventually, I would need more. But it was good at the time, and I kinda miss it now.

I'm hoping the new home can be the more that I need. More people, more security, more fulfillment. More living. It could be that it's not what I need. Maybe I need to be alone. That could be why I was alone in the desert. Conversations are a chore. I find myself constantly working hard at them. Inevitably they always seem to take a turn for the worst. Alone, I don't have to worry much about beating myself up over conversational disasters. Against myself, win or lose, I win that fight fifty percent of the time.

My hope is that I'm not a recluse. I like being alone, but I also like company. As good as Bones is, he is too much a part of me. I need variety, or at least I think I do. I really want the new home to be a secure place for Gene and her people. They could really use a break. Or maybe not. Who knows what state they're in. Hopefully, it is okay for how long they've been cooped in the core.

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Sitting around the fire, I continue to think through this mind reading. By that, I mean I let my mind wander while the solution approaches me. Inside Gene's shadow, we are safe. There is very little chance for discovery, and Gene's soul is strong enough to hold us within this realm for a week as long as we stay close.

Flames dance in the dark. Burning wood rhythmically crackles in our comfortable fire pit. Matching the elegant flame dance is the smoke that rises higher and higher until it disperses into the clear starry sky. The moon hovers above us, offering extra light for our secluded hideout. The chirping of crickets competes with the wailing toads. Occasionally a wolf cries out and is answered by a fellow wolf.

One howl is louder and closer than the rest. It causes Gene to stir. She rolls back and forth several times to find the perfect position. She seems to have it when she settles down for minutes only to stand up. She transforms back into her lycan form and sits next to the fire in a chair I summon for her.

Now is a good time for my ambush. I create the link between our minds with pure mana. I keep all my focus on the connection and Gene's thoughts. My passive mind sends the attack.

Why does Draxxo call you The Deceiver?

WHAT? Slams into my mind. I'm knocked out of my chair. My brain hurts.

"Yes!" I shout as quietly as possible, careful not to wake the dead spiders. My fists are making up for any volume I am lacking. Despite my excitement, I do my best to keep our connection. However, now that I've experienced the flow of thought, the concept is much less foreign. We might return to business by tomorrow if I can get Gene to speak more.

Draxxo, he called you The Deceiver and other not pleasant adjectives. I'd rather not repeat them. Why would he call you that?

That demon scum of a bird! I thought the harpy would be rotting by now. Gene's thoughts continue to flow. He took advantage of desperate people selling us his wasteland in return for portals. He wanted to use the given land as his hunting grounds.

You pulled this land from the shadow realm?

We had nowhere else to go.

What was he hunting if this was already his land? He mentioned you left him nothing in return. I feel like I know the answer already. The question is to gain more familiarity with the skill. I almost have it down completely.

He was hunting us. We were to be his new game. We… I… we were friends once, and he tossed that all aside for his lust for life knowing I was too desperate to bargain a better deal. I can feel the bitterness and betrayal in her thoughts. Even her desperation seeps through our link enough that I understand why she agreed to such a deal. Even more, I can feel her hope for a new home.

Why? My inability to find the right words let me down, and I dig in deeper dredging up memories that Gene isn't ready to share. It's too late, and I can't take my thought back.

Because bloody demons don't die in our realm. At worse, they return to their own with slightly less power. Gene's anger slams into my mind. The realization and shock of it all hit me at once. To think Gene and her people were so desperate to agree to such poor terms. Then to be devastated again by humans and the horde is a tragedy. Gene's body is shaking. I can see her trying to control her anger.

"I'm sorry." Sorry isn't enough to convey how I feel for her and her people and that I sprung the trap on her. That was not a friend thing to do. "I am so sorry." I go over to the still-shaking Gene and wrap Gloom and my arm around her. No more words or thoughts are said. We sit by the fire in silence for the rest of the night. Gene's anger eventually subsides, though I can still feel the pain of all she lost.

The moon has long passed the clearing of our ravine. Stars have begun to fade. Light slowly makes its way through the dark announcing the sun's rising. Gene has fallen asleep curled up in her cloak. I feel like crap, and deservedly so. Maybe I do need to live alone.

I put my thoughts aside when I see one of the spiders stir. Quietly I get our plan going so Gene can continue to sleep.