“Looking for a book.”

Benjy blinked at her. “You can’t read.”

“What?” Ayla gasped. “I can’t? My gods, why didn’t anyone tell me?”

“Ha, ha,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Seriously, what are you doing?”

“Seriously, I’m looking for a book.” She turned away, pretending to browse the shelves, as if she hadn’t been about to leave. He was silent, and she couldn’t help but add, “A lot happened last night. You know, after you waltzed with the queen.”

“Queen Junn is our most valuable ally right now,” he said stiffly. “She has more power and reach and resources than we’ve ever had access to. It’s in our best interest to stay on her good side.”

“Well, you certainly seem dedicated to doing just that.”

“You’re the one who’s going to decode messages for her,” Benjy snapped, catching Ayla’s sleeve. She whirled around, already crossing her arms.

“What’s your problem, Benjy?” Anger surged inside her; she was a body caught in the undertow. She didn’t know what her problem was until she opened her mouth and it spilled out. “For weeks you warned me off Crier,” she hissed. “‘You’ve grown soft,’ you said. ‘You can’t trust her,’ ‘Don’t forget what her Kind does to us’—and now you’re dancing with the leech queen? Staying on her good side doesn’t have to mean that. Imagine if I’d danced like that with Crier. Waltzing in front of everyone, laughing like friends. Imagine what you would’ve said.”

“What, are you jealous?” he asked.

“You know full well I’m not,” she said coldly. His eyes widened with hurt, but it didn’t calm her temper. He deserved it for asking that.

“I didn’t mean jealous about me,” he said pointedly. “I mean jealous that you didn’t get to do that. With her.”

She scoffed. “Of course not.”

“Really.”

She stared at him for a moment. He’d always been able to read her, even when she tried so hard to hide. “So I grew soft around her,” Ayla said. “I’m still the one who came up with the idea to set off her chime. I still made that choice, in the end. For revenge. For revolution.”

“And you’re still the one who couldn’t kill her.”

She took a half step back. They glared at each other, the silence of the library deafening in the wake of their anger.

“I’m thinking about the future, Ayla,” said Benjy. “We’re on the brink of war. Whether it’s humans versus Automae or the queen versus Kinok and the sovereign, or all of it, it’s war. I want to protect our Kind. Our people. I want us to rise up and win. If I have to team up with the leech queen for a while, so be it. I’ll do anything for the Revolution. I guess it’s not the same for you.”

“Do you really think her intentions are pure?” Ayla demanded. “We know she wants Kinok’s head on a platter, but what after? Will she storm the sovereign’s palace? Rule over Varn and Rabu? You know the whispers about her. That she’s merciless. That she kills for entertainment. What if she kills Kinok, takes the sovereign’s throne, and decides she doesn’t like humans after all?”