Blood & Magic Read Online Free PDF Page B

themselves. What this meant was clear, full impending government control, no longer would the Inquisition police their world or act as a barrier against human policy on alternate matters.
    “We will also give the department access to all of our records so we can harmonise our efforts to protect the Alternate community in the United Kingdom.”
    A step too far. Fists banged against the table as shouts filled the room.
    “Share the records?” A voice bellowed to Charlie’s right. It was Oberon, Doyen of Vis. He stood from the table, his dark robes billowing around him as his chair toppled to the ground. “This is unacceptable.”
    “Madness, this was never proposed to us for consideration,” a woman said across from Charlie, her words eerily echoing around the room. It was Ione, Doyen of Viva, her eyes narrowing as her fingers clenched at the table.
    Others stirred from their seats and before long, no voice stood out over the commotion. Immune to the shouting, Wade slowly stood as a smug smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
    “As Master of the Inquisition, I have made my decision in line with the charter of Magus Lore. This cannot be undone and you will hold your tongue Oberon. Do not think you cannot be removed from this chamber as I have had others before you. Your allegiance is to the council and to my decision, which is made. This is the best option, for
all
of us,” Wade said.
    Meyer left Charlie's mind, slumping into his chair. Hand over their control? How had that ever been agreed? And the records? Their secrets were the only thing that gave them any leverage with the likes of Helena. If Wade gave everything away, there would be no bargaining chips left. As much as Meyer hated him, Wade wasn't stupid, there must be a bigger play at hand, but what that was... The other big question was why had Wade brought Ruth and him here in the first place? Meyer had assumed it was for another job, but if it was in connection with this, then nothing good would come of it.
    “We are in deep trouble, aren't we?” Ruth said.
    “That, my dear, might be quite the understatement.”

- Chapter 6 -
Revelations
    The car braked suddenly, sending Henry crashing from the back seat into the foot well. He lay awkwardly, a prisoner in his own body, completely unable to move as an acidic warmth spread through his skin. Static crackled through the radio, drowning the car in constant noise.
    Borrowed dreams swept through Henry’s mind, knocking aside his concentration as they flew. What did this guy want with him? He didn't have a lot of money and certainly couldn't be considered important. He didn't even have any knowledge that made him valuable, unless you considered his perfect recollection of every episode of the television series
The Big Bang Theory
. Henry’s thoughts flipped back to the creature reflected in the mirror, a world away from his current predicament, although it still played on his mind. Too much stress, that must be it. Life isn't easy when every social interaction is like preparing for a bungee jump. The conclusion had to be that he had broken, that life had finally become too much to handle. Maybe all of this was just a fantasy of his mind's creation and he was on his way to some psychiatric hospital. Was that a comforting thought? Do crazy people know they are crazy? It probably wasn't politically correct to call crazy people crazy, someone had probably coined another term for it: mentally perturbed perhaps? Henry wondered if crazy people considered that as well.
    “Two is down,” said a voice piercing through the static.
    “Damn,” said the driver of the car, his accent stereotypically London, which gave the whole situation a feel of a cab journey from a nightmare. Henry really needed to step down his imagination, it certainly didn’t help calm him.
    “Four is down,” the voice from the speakers said again.
    “Christ, where we supposed to go now?”
    “Under?”
    “Rosy, you joking? We won't last five