Heaven's Gate by Toby Bennett

terms when she asked for my help, of course, but the cause for her distress was clear as day. All her life she’s been pampered and allowed to run wild now suddenly she is reduced to a bargaining chip.”
    “She’s foolish to think that her father will shelter her! After all he is as much part of this marriage pact as anyone else.” Mordiki says scornfully.
    “She believes that she can sway him, as she has managed to do all her life, I must confess that I did nothing to discourage that line of thought.”
    “You have played the part of virtuous priest too long, Rugan. Who cares if the little idiot is labouring under a misapprehension? When she is found at her father’s estates it will not matter how he protests, you will have sown enough doubt in the General’s mind to wreck whatever plans our enemies, be they mortal or not, have made around her. Though they must be truly desperate if they are reliant on this naive child.”
    “Don’t be so sure, I think they have used our complacency over the last six years to their advantage. We thought when we destroyed the Citadel that we had taken the head from the beast, I think that is what they wanted us to believe.”
    “Or you do not want to believe that it is you who has lost your grip on matters?”
    “Do not insult me, Mordiki, I will not endure it.”
    “I apologize for any affront you have taken, Rugan. Believe me I hold you in the greatest regard, it does not matter if Leedon has been corrupted by the remnants of the Strigoi clans or simply decided to resist our influence and consort with his fellow barons on his own. If we can make people believe that the bloodsuckers are still at large we can reign in our flock. If we can catch a few of the dregs left over from the war and link them to the Carter Barony, so much the better. We have already taken possession of the Island , why not claim the rest of the river?”
     
    Back in the privacy of his chamber, Rugan grinds his teeth at his colleague’s small mindedness. How could he dare call the girl naïve, when he seemed to see no danger in blithely suggesting the conquest of the Carter Barony nor the possibility that some of the Strigoi Elders might be at large. It was as he suspected, the rest of his brethren were growing restless, who could blame them? Caught out in the desert, surrounded by beetles and old bones, but the possibility that their impatience might be playing into the enemy’s hands was disconcerting.
     
      “It is not a matter of simple conquest, Mordiki, do not forget I was the one there at the end! Five coffins were empty when we took the Citadel, that means there may be five Elders unaccounted for, we cannot simply assume we are opposing weaklings in this matter. For all we know we are still playing a game of their devising.”
    “We agreed at the time those Elders could have died centuries ago or those sarcophagi may never have even been used. Why assume that they even exist simply because we have had a few setbacks? If there truly were Elders behind all, this our spies would have seen something by now.” Mordiki is dismissive.
    “We shall see soon enough I am sure, I only wish she had waited long enough for me to involve Captain Blake with her escape.”
    “What would we gain by that now? It’s clear that your plan is working, we will throw suspicion on the Carters and imply that they are conspiring with dark forces.”
    “Once more, easier said than done. Carter will not be so easily cornered, besides I didn’t just want the hunter involved for political reasons.”
    “He would only ever have been useful if there were any Strigoi to be dealt with.” The other Necromancer comments. “No need to protest, Rugan, whether you are right or wrong, enough suspicion will force Leedon away from this alliance to one of our choosing. If we can cause enough panic we might even be able to supplant the current baron, at which point it might be acceptable for General Leedon to marry his only