Free Messiah: The First Judgement (Chronicles of Brothers) by Wendy Alec

facing his Northern balconies, his back to them. ‘Where is the newborn king?’
    Alastor walked slowly up the nave of the throne room towards Lucifer, the only sound in the throne room his narrow crimson pointed shoes that squeaked with every awkward step. Charsoc materialized at the Black Gates. Silent. Observing.
    Alastor stopped halfway up the nave.
    ‘We found no king, Your Majesty.’
    Lucifer turned, his face contorted with fury, then flung open the massive golden doors of the north wing. The nova had drawn nearer, far nearer to earth and blazed furiously.
    ‘The nova yet burns.’ He clenched his fists in fury. ‘WHERE is the infant king that is born in the East?’
    Darsoc and his Grey Magi entered the throne room. The Grey Magi stood, a hundred strong. Breath-taking. Their strange beauty, bewitching. Tall and pale, their waist-length platinum hair fell smooth as glass over their billowing white velvet cloaks fastened with delicate silver clasps intertwined with live asps. Darsoc slid silently over the lapiz floors towards Alastor and the throne.
    Alastor stopped in front of Lucifer. ‘We found no king of noble birth, sire, but only a peasant babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, before whom shepherds worshipped.’
    Marduk scowled impatiently. ‘Shepherds! You waste His Excellency’s time.’ Lucifer grasped Marduk’s arm to still him, his nails digging deep into Marduk’s flesh. Marduk frowned, perplexed, but obeyed.
    Alastor turned his head back to the approaching Darsoc, then dropped to his knees, ‘No – my Lord.’ An evil sneer spread across his flabby features. He raised his shadowed eyes to Lucifer’s. ‘It is Darsoc who wastes your time with shepherds,’ he rasped. ‘We, the Grand Wizards of the Black Courts, were prudent. We turned back to Persia.’
    Charsoc slowly caressed the silver serpent on his staff, observing Alastor intently, deep in contemplation.
    Lucifer walked over to the huge open doors, staring out a long while at the nova.
    ‘Darsoc – my wicked prince.’
    ‘My Lord,’ Darsoc bowed deeply to Lucifer, then knelt beside Alastor.
    ‘Tell me about these shepherds.’ Lucifer’s voice was solicitous, soothing, his back to Darsoc.
    Darsoc lifted his shadowed eyes. ‘Alastor deemed it a distraction, Your Excellency ... a mere diversion...’ he answered, his voice listless but cultured.
    Lucifer turned and stared at him, his face inscrutable. ‘But you , my loyal and cunning slave...’
    ‘There came a great commotion in the Second Heavens. A vast company of the heavenly knighthood descended.’
    ‘Their purpose?’ Charsoc strode up the nave directly towards the throne.
    ‘They were scouts.’ Darsoc’s voice was measured. ‘Of the White Knighthood of the holy mountain, sire.’
    Alastor shifted his cumbersome frame, suddenly uneasy, looking from Charsoc to Lucifer.
    ‘Of your brother Chief Prince Michael’s Battalion, sire.’
    ‘Michael dispatches his scouts and proclaimers for a peasant babe?’ Lucifer frowned and pushed his hair back from his eyes, momentarily confused.
    ‘Pale Fool!’ spat Alastor. ‘You waste His Excellency’s time!’
    Darsoc moved his platinum head close to Alastor’s silver turbaned one, then pressed his pale grey lips against Alastor’s fleshy ear. ‘I think not,’ he hissed. He removed his silver gauntlets and signed deftly to a tall, pale form, shrouded in a white velvet cloak who instantly materialized next to him.
    ‘I am one of the Grey Magi designated Jequon.’ Jequon spoke in a low silken voice. ‘Chief archivist of the Grey Magi.’
    ‘And what did your archivists document, Jequon?’ Lucifer inquired softly, his back to Alastor.
    Jequon stared down at his long, pale trembling hands, then looked back at Lucifer’s back. ‘My archivists documented the pronouncements of the white knighthood.’ Sweat broke out on his temple. ‘Relay the declaration, Jequon.’ Charsoc commanded. ‘It may distress my sovereign