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She was likely the most powerful of the coven. Their heavy hitter.
Argent had a point. Someone like this shouldn’t be trusted with magic, but he wasn’t the person to make that decision, to take it away.
“If you were so smart, why did you go along with it?”
“Because I wanted to change the world. Not like the others. I wanted to make it better.”
“How?”
“You can’t reform a broken system. You can only destroy it and start over. Cole and I agreed on that much.” She pointed her chin at Argent, who stood behind Adam, coolly assessing the conversation. “Who says they should be in charge, just because they have more magic than us? Just because they’re immortal?”
“But Cole was an idiot?”
“He thought Wilcox was sincere. I know better. No one with that kind of money or power will ever side with people like us. The French had the right idea. Off with their heads, every damn one of them.”
“No more royals, no more rules.”
“Exactly.”
“But you were willing to work for Wilcox.”
“Just long enough to get the prize.”
“And that was your wish, guillotines for everyone?”
She snorted. “That was one fantasy, but no, I wanted the power, the same magic people like her are born to.”
She shot Argent a glare, which Adam had to admit was brave of her. The Queen of Swords could freeze her solid with a thought, but didn’t—which was why magic like hers should never be given to someone like Sonya.
“Tell me about the banshees. Were they your idea?”
She blinked. “The what?”
Damn, I really hoped that would work.
“Never mind.” Adam turned to Argent. “She doesn’t know anything.”
Sonya leaped from the bed, going for his sword before he could stop her. He felt its magic the instant her hand made contact.
He heard a cracking sound and turned. Sonya stared in horror at her wrist. Her hand, frozen, fell, breaking to pieces on the stone floor.
“Oh, shit.” He looked to Argent. “Can you help her?”
“Puh . . . please,” Sonya said. “My hand.”
“You really shouldn’t have done that,” Argent said. “A bonded weapon will answer to no other master.”
“Please, Argent,” Adam said gently. “For me?”
“You would still help her, despite the hurt she caused you?”
The queen stepped forward and touched the wound. It was pretty gross to watch. Bones reformed. Flesh regrew, muscles, tendons, then skin. It must have hurt too. Sonya swallowed a long scream.
Sobbing, rocking, she sat back on the bed.
“You think yourself a revolutionary,” Argent said. “But I’ve seen them firsthand. You claim you’d use power to change things for the better. All of you do, but you discount the innocents who would suffer and die for you to reach your goals. Consider that as your pain subsides.”
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