Especially where the war was concerned. If we caught one of Aeslinn’s people, could he tap into the hive mind and tell us where to find the army? Or could we figure out what the king was planning and how many men he had left? Or the location of his allies, a group of dark mages and traitorous vamps that we’d been searching for what felt like forever, and who had been waging a devastating war on us here on Earth?

I just sat there for a second, mind blown.

The telepath continued, unaware of my internal turmoil. “The collective mind remains, and grows richer over time,” she agreed. “As a library’s collection would. But it is not well organized, as a library would be. Nor does it always contain the information you seek.”

“What do you mean?”

“Simply that the knowledge is often donated unconsciously. To take the previous example, you may be able to find your path through unfamiliar terrain thanks to an ancestor who passed that way once, many years before. But the information he left might be superfluous in some ways and inadequate in others.”

“Such as?” I asked, because I was finding this whole concept a little mind bending.

She shrugged. “You might recall a bit of tasty fish he had at a tavern once, but not how to find water in a desert. You might remember a girl he tumbled, how golden her hair was or how… much he enjoyed her company. But not know the password needed to get through a warded gate, or whether a particular fruit is safe to eat.”

“You mean it’s random?” Because that wasn’t good. We needed specific information, not some guy’s accidental travelogue!

“Not entirely. People can try to donate information they think may be useful, to coordinate between group members scattered over a wide area—”

Which explained how the army had been keeping ahead of us, I thought grimly.

“—but their success will vary depending on their skill. And even assuming they are successful, someone else’s ability to retrieve that information will differ. It is why the fey often travel in groups. It isn’t just for protection; it is also about having more than one mind to access the Common, when needed.”

“I see.” Kind of. “Where is this information kept?”

“Kept?”

“Housed, located. There’s got to be… like a server somewhere, right?”

“A server?”

“A depository. A library. It can’t just be in their heads?”

The telepath looked confused. “But that is exactly where it is. This is knowledge, not a tangible thing.”

“But you said they tap into it. So, they don’t carry all that knowledge themselves.”

“No.” She suddenly looked sad, and then angry. She stood up abruptly. “No, they don’t.”

“Wait,” I said, getting up, too. I’d somehow put my foot in it, but I needed to know this. “I’m sorry—”