Then Zohara did it, followed by Gindah. Karina did a quick one-armed hug that was an effort for her, and reading her thoughts, the collective knew that it was because she hadn't hugged anyone in so long that she didn't remember how it worked.
Baruha and Asira embraced Sullha together, sandwiching her between them.
Rohilah only patted Sullha's back, probably because it was all she could manage with Bianca asleep on her shoulder.
Leehy stopped to whisper something in Sullha's ear that Yaaf could have easily eavesdropped on but chose not to.
Sullha had managed all those displays of gratitude and affection with her usual grace, but at some point she'd started to look haunted. The emotional burden must have exceeded her capacity to handle it.
She raised her hands. "Please, you have to stop with all this hugging or people might start to wonder."
The women paused and looked around, searching for the people Sullha was referring to. Other than a few older kids that were still huddled on the other side of the yard, and Tomek who was building castles in the sandbox by himself, there was no one there to watch the emotional display.
"It is just teaching positions," Sullha said. "They are not that exciting."
Gindah chuckled. "They'll think we are forming a Sacred Mothers circle."
It was actually not a bad idea to let people think that, but since the educational spin had already been used, they should stick to it.
"Anything but that," Asira said. "I'm just excited about teaching art." She winked at Sullha.
"Art is exciting," Sullha agreed with a smile. "Tomorrow at six, ladies."
It was time to ensure that none of the women discussed what they had learned with anyone outside the group, and the collective turned its attention to the task.
The thrall the Eight had been maintaining so far was keeping Yaaf invisible, the meeting obscured, and the conversation inaudible to anyone outside the gathering.
The compulsion part that they were about to layer on top of the thrall was the mental rule that would prevent them from speaking about today's meeting to anyone outside the group.
It was one of the things the collective could do that even Lord Navuh hadn't been able to. The lord had to be heard for his compulsion to take effect. The Eight could do the same with a mental suggestion, which was a much cleaner and more effective method. The women wouldn't even be aware of it. They would simply not want to talk about today. The thought of mentioning it to anyone outside the circle would feel wrong. They would feel as if they were keeping the secret at their own discretion.
Number One reinforced the layer one more time, drawing an additional pulse of energy from each of the other seven and weaving it into the suggestion in each woman's mind.
After everyone except Burda and Saphira had left, the collective let out a mental sigh of relief. The vetting process and the pressure were over, and it was a huge relief to find that none of the women were Brotherhood loyalists, religious fanatics, or opportunists willing to betray the others for a prize.
Even Karina, who they had been the most worried about, was revealed to be clean. She was just a recluse who preferred her own company.
As Burda, Saphira, and Sullha began folding the mats, Number One wondered how he would get Sullha away from them so he could tell her his plan to leave a communication device with Burda.
She looked more tired and depleted than after a full day of working in the vegetable garden. This hadn't been easy for her.
He waited for the right moment when she said, "I need to go to the bathroom. Are you okay to finish with the mats without me and keep an eye on Tomek?"
"Of course," Burda said. "You look like you need a nap."
"I do." Sullha sighed. "I'm exhausted. I had no idea that plotting can be so tiring."
Saphira chuckled. "You'll get used to it. Everything that's new is difficult. Everything that's routine becomes easy."
Sullha nodded and started toward the bathrooms.
Yaaf detached from the wall he'd been leaning against, but then he decided against talking to her before she did her business inside. Perhaps she really needed to go, and it hadn't been just an excuse to talk to him.
He waited outside the door, and when she came out, he released her from the thrall.
"I am here," he said quietly.
She turned toward him but kept looking ahead as if he wasn't there. "Have you vetted all of them?"
