Free Son of Perdition (Chronicles of Brothers) by Wendy Alec Page A

the angelic and the Race of Man – then what . . . ’ His voice broke off as he caught sight of Jether’s sombre expression.
    ‘There will be no mixture of the seeds.’ Jether’s voice was soft but it cut the air like a blade. ‘Lucifer’s messiah will be fashioned neither of the seed of man nor the egg of woman. Lucifer mimics the Christ’s seed – ex nihilo .’
    Gabriel shook his head confused.
    ‘He would create a clone, Gabriel. His clone. We have not much time. The Fallen ride even as we speak.’
    Jether studied Gabriel’s face, then sighed, his expression softening.
    ‘Tell Michael, I will meet with him on the Pearl Sands. At dusk.’
    He embraced Gabriel on both cheeks, then mounted his white winged charger. His eyes flashed with intensity.
    ‘I go to summon the High Councils of Yehovah.’
    * * *
    Six hundred and sixty-six of Lucifer’s Dark Cabal Wizards ascended from the blazing acid-green infernos of the labyrinths deep within the lowest Crypts of Nagor. Their sparse white hair was pulled back from their sunken foreheads and their feathered seraph wings thrashed the air as they rode the arc of the North Wind, astride their monstrous hybrid genetic creations.
    A depraved ghoulish horde led by the two-headed Twin Wizards of Malfecium.
    The super-scientists of the damned would reach the Ice Citadel of Gehenna by dawn.

Chapter Nine
    The Vial of Sacred Progeny
    Lucifer sat majestically on his enormous carved horn throne, his headrest one enormous ruby. He smoothed his glistening white robes of state, embroidered with diamonds and molten gold.
    Four of his bearers appeared and deftly plaited his raven hair with ice-diamonds and amethyst lightnings, then slunk away. Balbeith placed the satanic crown of state on Lucifer’s head and bowed.
    Charsoc moved towards the throne.
    ‘Your Majesty, the Darkened Councils have been summoned from under the earth. The Warlocks of the West gather as we speak.’
    Lucifer caressed the coarse white fur of the six-headed ice-wulf at his feet. A gift from the Twins of Malfecium. He bit into the flesh of a large golden fruit, then held it out idly in his palm to the ice-wulf who wagged his serpent tail, then devoured it ferociously, his dark blue fangs visible.
    Lucifer smiled in approval, then studied Charsoc through narrowed eyes.
    ‘Long have I awaited this day,’ he murmured. ‘From the time I ruled through Nebuchadnezzar, I waited.’
    He sipped delicately from his goblet.
    ‘During my reign through Antiochus the Fourth of Syria and Mesopotamia. I waited.’
    He raised his head and stared up at sixty-six golden seraphim and carved Gorgons above him. His gaze dropped to the magnificent frescos beneath the arches of the inner dome depicting Nimrod, Alexander and Antiochus’s kingdoms.
    ‘Antiochus failed me,’ he hissed. ‘Alexander the Great, Charlemagne, Stalin, Adolf Hitler . . . ’ He scowled. ‘All incompetent mewling parasites!’
    He swung around to Charsoc, his eyes dark. ‘I will tolerate no more error.’
    Lucifer raised his sceptre in the direction of the mammoth black ice doors to the throne room.
    At once they turned to vapour, revealing 333 cowled Magi led by Marduk, head of the Darkened Councils.
    Marduk led the way down the Western stairs to the West Portal of the Last Judgement. A magnificent ivory carving of Lucifer triumphant and the Race of Men burning in the lake of fire towered overhead. The Darkened Councils each took their carved horn thrones, two levels below Lucifer’s own.
    A discordant droning filled the atmosphere of the throne room as a thousand hunched black murmurers entered through the gates, their black seraph wings concealed underneath their semi-transparent grey muslin cloaks.
    They formed a sinister dark line, skulking up the 666 steps to the circular Whispering Gallery directly beneath the open dome. Their cowls blew under the swirling ice tempests.
    The bells of Limbo pealed. The throne room instantly filled