EURI

  Shah and I ordered a late night dinner delivered, and it was amazing. The food reminded me of home: lots of veggie options, but instead of flatbread, it was pitas with various dips to scoop up. Salads and sandwiches in pita. And the best desserts of flaky pastries, just like home.

  I fell in love with Egypt in a heartbeat.

  After dinner, we cuddled on the couch and sent our minds questing. I picked up the evening breeze in an instant, and Shah rode it with me, out over the river, past the towering pyramids, across the desert expanse and further.

  I focused on minds, not sights, blocking out the nighttime creatures, the cats, and the mice. There were millions of minds, some awake, some not. I pushed past, stretched further. How would I know if someone was aware? How would I recognize a mind like mine?

  Portia took the lead. She focused on finding something that felt like Ronnie, not simple— complex. She searched for minds that felt uncomfortable. That reminded me of Muller. His mental scent had been sort of like coffee, but pungent.

  Shah laughed at me. A skunk?

  What’s a skunk? I asked, confused.

  I cute little critter with a really foul side effect, she laughed. Don’t ever go near one, Euri!

  She returned to looking for uncomfortable minds. There was something, far, far away. To Shah’s mind, it was like a bruise. She paused and waited just beyond it.

  It gave off a feeling of curiosity.

  We repeated that feeling back, but stayed just out of reach.

  It moved a little closer to us. We gave it a warm glow.

  It relaxed and grew softer, more peach in our minds’ eyes.

  We turned teal blue-green. It came closer. We moved closer towards the mind.

  Halloo, it said, distinctly masculine.

  Hi, we replied.

  What are you doing? Questing?

  Uhmm hmm. We’ve never tried this.

  Well, welcome. Wanna share where you are? I’m in Maglen Galaxy.

  Milky Way, but this isn’t our home.

  Hmm?

  We’re from Andromeda.

  Head nodding. Not the first Andromedans. Must be a lot of us there.

  Wait, you’ve met others?

  Sure. One who’s off the charts.

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  RONNIE?

  Ronnie? Dunno. Is that his name— WAIT! Do you KNOW HIM?

  Laughter, laughter, laughter!

  If it’s the same guy, it’s my twin!

  TWIN!? You’ve had THAT in your mind your whole life? How do you stand it!?

  Laughter, laughter, laughter.

  He has to block it off from us, from me. Oh, can you tell there’s two of us? My boyfriend’s here.

  Nodding.

  Yeah. Does he say anything?

  Hey, I’m Euri.

  Euri?

  Yeah, means “wind.” We found you by following the breeze.

  Hunh.

  You got other telepathic friends, Maglen? I asked.

  Wry feeling.

  Name’s Slick, and I only know the ones I’ve met like this. No one in real life. You two sure are lucky to have each other.

  My last attempt at match making was an utter flop, Portia said, but maybe we can help you connect to more people? You into guys? We met a cutie in the Cavern of Lights. . . .

  Curiosity.

  Show me?

  Eagerness.

  What was this? The dating app for telepaths? Just dial up Shah on the mental plane, and she’ll hook you right into someone else’s mind? Muller hadn’t seemed interested in knowing other Talented people. . .

  Euri! Help me! Use the wind! We gotta do something good with these Talents. I mean, I always agreed with Muller— that we should all hide! But why can’t Muller and Slick just talk mentally? That’s not dangerous!

  I turned my attention away from Slick and Portia and focused on the breeze again. I remembered the Cavern of Lights, and it was only two seconds before the skunk mind was there. I stood outside it, but sort of knocked politely.

  There was a really long pause, then a feeling of annoyance. I just kept standing there. I didn’t push, but I didn’t go away either.

  It’s you again. The windy one. Thought I smelled something foul on the breeze.

  The words were rude, but the feeling behind them was amused. You’re far away, Euridyne. Whatcha doin’?

  Thanks for picking up, Muller. Shah and I are trying something. We both always thought it was best to stay away from other people like us, but well, Ronnie found a girlfriend—

  HAH! What! The no-talker hooked up?

  Cackling. Had to find another telepath, didn’t he? Oh, do tell, this is entertaining.

  Eye roll from me.

  You know how he is. We still don’t know anything. He dragged us all the way to Earth— in Milky Way— then disappeared with this pretty little wisp of a girl who said absolutely nothing. She’s even quieter than Ronnie!

  Cackling.

  Hey, we found a telepath from Maglen. Will you talk to him? If we can connect you?

  What the hell? What is this, a party on the mental plane? Hunh. Guess I’m not the only insomniac. Okay. I’ll go for it. I’m sick of gaming anyway.

  I mentally elbowed Shah, and she widened things out. I focused on hanging onto Muller and opening to Shah. Then all four of us were connected.

  I sense someone new. Someone really strong, sent Slick.

  Yeah, I just got a bruise to the brain. Tone that down, man. Who are you, anyway?

  Me? You stink to high heaven. That’s like an assault, acrid personality!

  Shah and I laughed. You’re both pretty fucking pungent, I scolded them. Muller of Slourend Four, Andromeda Galaxy, meet Slick from Maglen.

  Hey man, my home sphere’s called Dliptonia. You work in a cave, Muller?

  Nodding. Tour guide for the fantastic. Sights like nothing else. . . blah, blah, blah. What’s Dliptonia like?

  Why don’t you come find out?

  Sparks. Zing.

  Holy hells. Portia and I were both suddenly on fire, and we weren’t the cause, we were just caught in the backdraft.

  Long, long pause.

  I’ll be there in two weeks.

  Everything went dark. Our eyes popped open, and Shah looked at me with giant eyes. “Euri! I don’t suck as a matchmaker!!! Oh fucking clouds, did that actually work? Did I just get those two guys together?!”

  “You did, baby! Or, we did! Hey! Look at us, using our Talents for good! Hah! That was so awesome! I think we need to celebrate. Sands knows I’m not gonna fall asleep now!”

  She lunged for me, and we pounded into each other, on fire and happy and both of us feeling like we knew what we were meant to do. We would use our magic powers to help other telepaths find each other. No one else had to be alone. Not with us trying to help.

  Now our lives made sense. Finally.