Son of Perdition (Chronicles of Brothers) by Wendy Alec

this man is a fervent scholar.’
    ‘He is a genius?’
    Charsoc leaned over to Lucifer. He held a sheaf of documents in his hand. ‘He is a genius among the Race of Men, sire. I have studied the texts. It is as the Twins’ relay.’
    Lucifer seized the documents from Charsoc’s grasp and strode down the nave, scanning the papers, Charsoc at his side.
    ‘He is sympathetic to our cause?’
    Charsoc nodded. ‘He was the scientist in charge of the Los Alamos cloning programme, sire. Black operations. He serves our dark slaves in the Race of Men with devotion.’
    ‘His silence will be ensured?’
    Charsoc stroked his beard pensively as he walked.
    ‘He is an ambitious man, Your Majesty, but not curious. He cares not whom his masters are. He has no god. His only god is that of science.’
    Lucifer swung around. ‘I seek a family of the Race of Men. Search the Lower Libraries of Iniquities. Seek out a hundred dynasties of the Race of Men. Those I have endowed with riches. Those I reward with power. Devoted servants of the Fallen.’
    Lucifer paced back up the nave, deep in contemplation.
    ‘I think I shall give him brothers. A stubborn Michael. A tender Gabriel. They shall be three, even as we three angelic brothers. Three brothers of the Race of Men.’
    An insane fire lit his gaze. ‘And like his father before him.’ He raised his arms towards the vast dome. ‘My son shall be an insurrectionist. A renegade!’
    Maelageor moved nearer.
    ‘There is a family, sire.’ He held out a large black Codex. Lucifer recognized it instantly as one of the thirteen Codices of Diabolos.
    ‘A most suitable family.’ He stared up at Lucifer, his cruel bulbous eyes glittering. Lucifer studied him intently, then took hold of the Codex.
    ‘One of the thirteen families of the Grand Druid Council,’ Maelageor wheedled. ‘Those who reign in the world of the Race of Men as Warlock High Priests.’
    ‘The grandfather is familiar to me,’ Lucifer murmured, studying the Codex. ‘He bears the “Warlock’s Mark”. He is a devoted servant of the Fallen.’ He smiled slowly in approval. ‘Pray continue, Maelageor.’
    ‘The host is with child, sire. Her second child. Eight weeks in the womb. A son. The infant will be exchanged at birth with your own clone.’
    Six Dark Cabal Wizards entered through the ice doors, bearing a black sarcophagus on their shoulders. They set it down on the altar before the throne.
    Lucifer nodded. Slowly, Maelageor opened the casket. In the very centre lay a single vial of. Lucifer circled the casket, staring at the vial.
    ‘There is no time to lose, Your Excellency,’ Maelageor continued. ‘In anticipation of your sanction of the chosen family, we have re-engineered the DNA of your genome to correspond precisely with the projected birth date of the human infant. The DNA reconstructor has already been activated. The genome must be transported to the world of the Race of Men by one you trust. Without delay.’
    ‘You have excelled yourself as always, Maelageor.’
    Lucifer raised his sceptre.
    ‘Charsoc. You will deliver the genome to earth. Instruct the occultic time sorcerers to prepare for the unleashing of the time whirlwinds of the Eastern Vortex!’ he commanded.
    The Grand Wizard of Phaegos stepped forward, trembling.
    ‘Your Majesty.’ He bowed, his two chins scraping the floor. ‘One hundred moons waxing and waning must pass before the whirlwinds of the Eastern Vortex are unleashed. And another three full moons before the Time Gates of the Eastern Vortex pass by the Second Heaven and open into the World of the Race of Men. Time is against us. The genome must be delivered in the dimension of matter now .’
    He took two steps backwards.
    ‘And by one of our own in human form .’
    ‘Human form? Impossible, Phaegos!’ Charsoc exclaimed. ‘Golgotha changed the conditions of our sojourning in the Race of Men. His Majesty alone, as Archangel, retains the ability to reside in human form and