“But an exact replica of a cockroach is no problem,” I drawled. He blinked, and I shook my head. “You’re a genius. You know that, right?”
“Yes.” He winked at me before peering at the insect again. “Once I get the leg movement right, I should be able to steer it around the manor without detection. I have a few subjects I caught in the cellar to give me an idea ofwhat I’m missing.”
He motioned to a jar nearby, and against my better judgment, I glanced inside. “You’re keeping cockroaches as pets now?”
“There are a surprising number of them in the manor. But don’t worry,” he added quickly. “I only found them on the lower levels.”
“Cockroaches don’t bother me. We’re already living with one,” I muttered, sitting down on the sofa.
“Once I have this little guy up and running, we’ll have a way to track every move Daxton makes without ever being seen.”
“Unless someone spots your bug and tries to smash it,” I said, and he shrugged.
“That’s the beauty of it. Unless they’re looking too closely, if they step on it or otherwise destroy it, it’s designed to resemble a dead cockroach.”
I shuddered. “Still a genius, but definitely twisted.”
“It was a necessity. I’m not completely unaware of how the presence of a cockroach in the upper levels of the manor would be viewed.”
He straightened, and once his eyes were on me instead of his new toy, his entire demeanor seemed to shift. It never ceased to amaze me how different he became in his workshop—how scientific and methodical and distracted he grew.He was wholly focused on his inventions, and though part of me was jealous that he had something to distract him, the fact that he was working on an actual bug made it clear he was still as determined as I was to reignite the rebellion and take Daxton down for good.
“You must be happy to see Benjy again,” he said, and I nodded.
“It’s—complicated. He’s not—we’re not together anymore. Can’t be, not when I have to live as Lila completely.”
“Oh.” His face fell. “I’m sorry. That must be hard.”
“He’s still my best friend. He always will be,” I said quickly. “But—yeah. It isn’t fun. And being here where Knox grew up...”
I trailed off, and neither of us had to say anything. We both missed Knox. As hard as it was for me, being here without him, I couldn’t imagine how difficult it was for Greyson, who had real memories of this place. Of Knox here,in his home. No doubt it felt empty without him.
“What do you think Benjy wants?” said Greyson at last, and I toyed with a loose thread on the sofa.
“He wants to help us kill Daxton,” I said. “We can trust him. He would never betray us.”
Greyson frowned, and he spun the hologram around again. “Maybe not on purpose, but he’s going to be with him every day now, and Daxton’s listening.”
“Benjy’s too smart for that,” I said firmly. “He’s a VI. Victor Mercer was only a V, remember?”
A ghost of a smile replaced his frown. “I thought the ranks were unfair and meant nothing.”
“They don’t, but—” I stopped and sighed. “Just let me have this, all right?”
“All right. Just this once,” he teased. “Only because it’s Daxton.”
I watched him work that evening as we both waited for ten o’clock to come around. It was incredible, seeing what he could do with only a few tools and his hands. Bit by bit, he began to create his bug.
Even if this didn’t work, I was confident the three of us would be able to come up with some kind of plan. We might not have had the resources and the manpower of the full Blackcoat Rebellion, but sometimes all it took was onesmall ripple to change the course of fate. And we were all determined to do exactly that.
At last, at the stroke of ten, a soft knock sounded on the door. While Greyson hastily hid his bug from sight, even though I’d insisted Benjy wouldn’t tell, I stood and opened the door. Benjy stood on the other side, his lips pressed together anxiously, and I recoiled as soon as I saw why.
Minister Bradley hovered over his shoulder, his brow sweaty and his paunch heaving from the long walk.
“Can I help you, Benjamin? Minister Bradley?” I said stiffly, exactly the way Lila would had she been faced with the same pair. Behind me, I could hear Greyson scramble to clear the last evidence of his bug from the room.
“Don’t worry, he’s here to help,” said Benjy, and I scowled.
“Help with what?”
“Killing the Prime Minister, of course,” said Minister Bradley. I groaned inwardly. Of all the people to trust— Benjy must have known this was a trap.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but if you say it any louder, I’m sure Daxton would be more than happy to torture the truth out of you,” I said, starting to close the door. Benjy stuck his foot in the way, however, stopping it with his boot.