Read Online Son of Perdition (Chronicles of Brothers) by Wendy Alec - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Wendy Alec
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Prince intently, then bowed. He gestured to Sandaldor who moved forward. Zadkiel nodded. Together they raised their huge iron axe-hammers high, then swung them forcefully against the monstrous iron manacles, shattering them cleanly in two.
Slowly Zadkiel pushed open the heavy golden doors of Lucifer’s quarters. Gabriel drew a sharp breath. The West Wing lay untouched.
Zadkiel walked after Gabriel into the atrium, staring into Lucifer’s chambers. They stood together a long while in silence.
‘I cannot contend with this, Gabriel.’ Zadkiel bowed his head, his hands trembling. Remembering. ‘It brings back memories of all that damned my soul.’
He raised his tortured gaze to Gabriel. ‘I plead with you, Gabriel.’ Zadkiel’s voice shook with intensity. ‘Release me from this undertaking.’
Gabriel studied Zadkiel intently with compassion. Finally he spoke.
‘I release you, old friend. Return with Sandaldor to my chambers and await me there.’
Zadkiel bowed deeply. ‘May you find, my revered Prince, that which you so earnestly seek.’
He started to walk away.
‘Zadkiel,’ Gabriel called after him. ‘Michael . . . ’ He hesitated. ‘He has no knowledge I am here?’
Zadkiel held his gaze. ‘He has no knowledge.’
Gabriel nodded. ‘I will reveal it when I am ready. And Jether?’
‘I have not revealed it to Jether.’ Zadkiel smiled faintly. ‘But his knowledge will be from a higher source.’
Zadkiel bowed once more, then remounted his steed. He tore at high speed back down the roadway, followed by Sandaldor. Without a glance back.
Gabriel stood in the gateway staring after Zadkiel until he had completely disappeared from view. Then he retraced his steps, pushed open the chamber doors and moved into the atrium. He secured the doors from inside, surveying the vast chamber.
He shook his head in wonder.
It was almost as it had been in aeons past before their world fell.
Lucifer’s collection of pipes and tabarets.
His Sword of State still in its magnificent jewelled sheath.
Gabriel walked under the great frescoed Arc of Archangels and into Lucifer’s inner sanctum, staring up at the magnificent trompe l’oeils – Lucifer’s own handiwork, painted on the vaulted ceilings that soared a hundred feet. Heliotropes, damsons, and amethysts merging into magentas and vermilions covering the ornately decorated surfaces.
His gaze fell onto the carved marble writing desk. The very same desk where his elder brother had penned thousands of beautifully italicized missives in worlds long gone.
He paled.
Leaning next to the desk was an enormous objet d’art, covered with gold cloth. It had not been there two millennia ago, the day of the First Judgement.
The answers to his disturbed dreaming of the night before lay there. He was sure of it.
Lucifer and his infuriating sorcerers’ games!
He strode over to the desk and untied the golden cords. The gold cloth dropped onto the floor, revealing a painting. Nine feet tall. Twelve feet wide.
Gabriel studied it intently.
In the centre of the canvas was an exquisite depiction of Christos, each feature captured in light. It was breathtaking, but for one jagged crimson line that severed the face from one side of the canvas to the other.
He lowered his gaze to the left of the image.
There they were. Just as he had known. The Dark Cabal Wizard Riders – astride their monstrous creations. Their destination the ice world of Gehenna.
Lucifer had painted the scene down to the finest detail. It was exactly what Gabriel had witnessed in his disturbed dreamings.
Directly below Christos was a precise depiction of Lucifer himself standing on the huge, pearl balcony of these very chambers. Exactly as he had in ages past when he watched his brothers race across the sands. His sculpted alabaster features were perfect in their beauty.
Gabriel stared mesmerized into the cold sapphire eyes. They were almost lifelike.
His gaze dropped to the foot of the
Slowly Zadkiel pushed open the heavy golden doors of Lucifer’s quarters. Gabriel drew a sharp breath. The West Wing lay untouched.
Zadkiel walked after Gabriel into the atrium, staring into Lucifer’s chambers. They stood together a long while in silence.
‘I cannot contend with this, Gabriel.’ Zadkiel bowed his head, his hands trembling. Remembering. ‘It brings back memories of all that damned my soul.’
He raised his tortured gaze to Gabriel. ‘I plead with you, Gabriel.’ Zadkiel’s voice shook with intensity. ‘Release me from this undertaking.’
Gabriel studied Zadkiel intently with compassion. Finally he spoke.
‘I release you, old friend. Return with Sandaldor to my chambers and await me there.’
Zadkiel bowed deeply. ‘May you find, my revered Prince, that which you so earnestly seek.’
He started to walk away.
‘Zadkiel,’ Gabriel called after him. ‘Michael . . . ’ He hesitated. ‘He has no knowledge I am here?’
Zadkiel held his gaze. ‘He has no knowledge.’
Gabriel nodded. ‘I will reveal it when I am ready. And Jether?’
‘I have not revealed it to Jether.’ Zadkiel smiled faintly. ‘But his knowledge will be from a higher source.’
Zadkiel bowed once more, then remounted his steed. He tore at high speed back down the roadway, followed by Sandaldor. Without a glance back.
Gabriel stood in the gateway staring after Zadkiel until he had completely disappeared from view. Then he retraced his steps, pushed open the chamber doors and moved into the atrium. He secured the doors from inside, surveying the vast chamber.
He shook his head in wonder.
It was almost as it had been in aeons past before their world fell.
Lucifer’s collection of pipes and tabarets.
His Sword of State still in its magnificent jewelled sheath.
Gabriel walked under the great frescoed Arc of Archangels and into Lucifer’s inner sanctum, staring up at the magnificent trompe l’oeils – Lucifer’s own handiwork, painted on the vaulted ceilings that soared a hundred feet. Heliotropes, damsons, and amethysts merging into magentas and vermilions covering the ornately decorated surfaces.
His gaze fell onto the carved marble writing desk. The very same desk where his elder brother had penned thousands of beautifully italicized missives in worlds long gone.
He paled.
Leaning next to the desk was an enormous objet d’art, covered with gold cloth. It had not been there two millennia ago, the day of the First Judgement.
The answers to his disturbed dreaming of the night before lay there. He was sure of it.
Lucifer and his infuriating sorcerers’ games!
He strode over to the desk and untied the golden cords. The gold cloth dropped onto the floor, revealing a painting. Nine feet tall. Twelve feet wide.
Gabriel studied it intently.
In the centre of the canvas was an exquisite depiction of Christos, each feature captured in light. It was breathtaking, but for one jagged crimson line that severed the face from one side of the canvas to the other.
He lowered his gaze to the left of the image.
There they were. Just as he had known. The Dark Cabal Wizard Riders – astride their monstrous creations. Their destination the ice world of Gehenna.
Lucifer had painted the scene down to the finest detail. It was exactly what Gabriel had witnessed in his disturbed dreamings.
Directly below Christos was a precise depiction of Lucifer himself standing on the huge, pearl balcony of these very chambers. Exactly as he had in ages past when he watched his brothers race across the sands. His sculpted alabaster features were perfect in their beauty.
Gabriel stared mesmerized into the cold sapphire eyes. They were almost lifelike.
His gaze dropped to the foot of the
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