"Number Three's name is Tersan, and Rohilah is his mother. Number Four's name is Camdor, mother Baruha, sister Asira."
"Yes."
"Number Five is Armos, and he's the son of Karina. Number Six is Ravsoh, the son of Zohara. Number Seven is named Voset, and his mother is Gindah."
"Yes."
"Number Eight. Bardov. Mother Vinnah." She folded the page into a small square and put it inside the book. "Vinnah is off the list."
"Yes."
"How did he take it?"
Number One wasn't sure how to answer that. The truth was that Number Eight had taken it the way the collective took everything now, in waves that the others absorbed and dispersed, with periodic re-emergences when something triggered the grief and the others moved in to hold it. It was distributed grieving, and it was slow, but it was steady. He could not say that to Sullha.
"He's all right," he said. "We're helping him cope."
"Good. Do any of them have siblings that they remember? It will help me to know that when I approach them."
"I asked, and I have some answers, but they are not complete."
"Tell me what you have."
He took a breath and worked through it from memory that was fresh from last night and yet hazy. The seven started feeding him details across the connection, and he had to filter their input to make it sound like his own.
"Mirumah had two older sons before Dumuz. He couldn't recall their names, but we can safely assume that they are in the armyor were. Soldiers die. Even immortal ones. Some injuries are too severe for our bodies to heal."
She shivered. "I'm so glad that you and your team haven't been deployed. I might have lost you forever."
"Sullha." He put his hand over hers, and she didn't pull away. "You care about me."
"Of course I do, stupid." She pulled out her hand and swatted his arm like she used to do when they were kids. "Can I still call you stupid? Or is it a mortal sin to call an enhanced warrior names?"
"You can call me anything you want. I'm not offended."
"Good." She let out a breath. "I acted on impulse, and then I got scared, thinking I overstepped. I'm glad I didn't."
"You can never overstep with me."
She looked at him with a questioning expression on her beautiful face, then shook her head. "Okay. Who else?"
"Number Three doesn't remember any siblings, but his memory of his childhood is shaky."
"He has a sister."
He stopped.
The collective stopped.
"What?"
"He has a sister. I know Rohilah, his mother. She has a little girl who's about two. Her name is Bianca."
"Are you sure? Maybe there is another Rohilah in the enclosure?"
Sullha shook her head. "Rohilah had a son who is in the army now. I'm sure she's Tersan's mother."
"Bianca doesn't sound like a name that belongs in the enclosure."
