He cast one more thrall before stepping through the gate.
It had become a habit to walk through the enclosure shrouded in a thrall that made everyone he passed look away and not see him.
Sullha didn't see him either until he was almost at her bench, and even then she only saw him because the slight movement of air at her shoulder gave him away.
She turned.
She'd told him last time that she could feel the displacement of air from his body that was not making a sound, and he enjoyed testing her.
"Is it you?" she asked.
He released her from the thrall and smiled. "You caught me again."
Her face brightened, and it did something to him. The first few times he'd come, she'd been reserved, but now she was back to being the girl he remembered, just all grown up.
Number One sat down beside her, leaving a hand's width of space between them. He felt an overwhelming urge to take her hand, but he wasn't going to do that. He wasn't sure whether the time she'd put her hand over his had been a one-time thing or a permission for that small display of physical affection.
"You're late," she said.
He arched a brow. "I didn't know you were waiting for me at a specific time."
She pointed at the setting sun. "Usually, you come before the sun gets so low."
He nodded. "It has been a long day."
"Yeah, mine was long too," she said. "Well, not really. It still lasted the same number of hours, but it was heavier."
"What happened?"
"I met Vinnah at lunch today. She still hums to herself, but she doesn't care who hears it. She just hums."
"That's good, isn't it?"
Given Sullha's expression, it wasn't, and he could feel Number Eight tense.
"We can't trust her," she said quietly. "She's one of them."
Number Eight was pushing through the hive mind, and the others were trying to disperse his agitation, and failing.
What does she mean?Number Eight demanded.One of who?
"Do you mean loyal to the Brotherhood?"
The collective was aware that there were some loyalists among the women, if for no other reason than the additional perks their loyalty could reward them with.
She let out a breath. "It's worse than that. She's one of the Sacred Mothers."
He had never heard that phrase before, and neither had any of the other seven.
What in the name of Mortdh is a Sacred Mother?Number Eight demanded.
Yaaf cringed, and so did Number Two and Number Four. They didn't like invoking the name of the false god, even if it was just a manner of speech.
Sullha caught his expression. "You know who I'm talking about, right?"
"No."
"So, why did you cringe?"
