Chapter 540: A Map and a Problem

One Month Before

It took Tobias two full days to get the information regarding the cliff.

Two days of moving carefully.

Two days of pretending he had nothing better to do than wander around the Blood Moon pack until Victoria summoned him.

In truth, he had been doing anything but wandering.

He had been searching.

The library had been his main target.

The first time he entered it, Tobias had expected something smaller. The West did not exactly strike him as the sort of place that valued books or knowledge.

But he had been wrong.

The room was large, quiet, and lined with tall shelves that stretched almost to the ceiling. Scrolls, maps, and worn books were stacked in careful rows.

Dust floated lazily in the sunlight that slipped through the tall windows.

Tobias had walked in slowly, pretending he was merely curious.

But in truth, his eyes had been searching for something specific.

Maps.

The West was not a territory Tobias was familiar with. The pack had left this place before Tobias himself had been born.

Which meant that if they were going to get the Silver Creek pack out safely, he needed knowledge of the terrain.

The first day had yielded nothing useful.

The maps he found were outdated or incomplete. Some only showed the central territory while others were so damaged they were barely readable.

By the second day, Tobias had almost begun to think the information he needed simply did not exist, especially for a library as big as this.

But he kept searching, and eventually he found it.

A map tucked inside a worn leather case.

The parchment was older than most of the others he had seen, its edges slightly frayed with age.

Tobias had unrolled it slowly.

And the moment his eyes landed on the marked landscape, he felt Ryker stir inside him.

This has to be it.

Tobias leaned closer as he observed the map. It was detailed and had been drawn with care. The map showed the numerous hills in the West, some larger than others, and even marked places where packs had settled.

He could see where the Blood Moon pack was. They had the largest land, pushing the other packs to the sides.

The West was surrounded by the North, the East, and the South. Whoever had drawn the map had actually done their work well.

Annabeth had been right too.

There was a cliff that could lead to the North. The cliff was jagged though, and it was huge. Like he had said before, he doubted anyone would survive the fall.

The map showed the cliff’s position, marked along the edge of the territory where the land suddenly dropped into a deep valley.

Tobias studied it carefully.

If the Silver Creek members used that route, they could indeed make their way toward the North.

But as Tobias examined the map further, his excitement quickly faded.

"Of course," he muttered under his breath.

Nothing was ever simple.

Tobias traced a finger along the path the map suggested.

The height of the cliff and the steep fall weren’t the only issues. The cliff would lead north, yes, but it would lead them straight into a path in Nirvana where beasts roamed about. It was a place Tobias recognized even from a map.

That is not ideal, Ryker said.

"Not even close."

The beasts in Nirvana were vicious, extremely so. And if they ran into a Trihydra... he could only imagine what would happen.

Which meant sending unprotected pack members into that area would be suicide.

The plan slowly began forming in his mind.

They would send warriors first.

Experienced fighters who could clear the path and deal with any beasts that appeared.

After that—children and the elderly, anyone who could not defend themselves.

Ryker seemed to follow the same line of thought.

*The luggage would have to be reduced. There is no way they would be able to carry heavy luggage down a cliff like that. And we’ll need sturdy ropes. Ropes that would be enough to hold more than three people at once but strong enough to hold without breaking.*

Tobias nodded and placed the map back inside the leather case before slipping it into his cloak.

The first part of the problem had been solved.

But the moment Tobias stepped out of the library, he realized something.

The cliff itself was not the true problem.

The real problem was getting everyone there.

Back inside his chambers, Tobias spread the map across the table again.

His finger traced the path from Silver Creek territory toward the cliff.

And that was when the issue became obvious.

A large building sat directly along the shortest route.

The same building Victoria had taken him to days ago.

The same building where Annabeth and Nathan were being held.

He had no idea how he had missed it.

Tobias stared at the map silently.

*Those still at the pack can take a longer route. They can avoid the building if they use the cliffs, but they are not the issue.* Ryker said.

"No, they are not. The issue is Annabeth and the others. They would have to come out of that building in order for the plan to work."

Ryker growled quietly.

*And go around it to get to the cliff, quietly and without arousing suspicion.*

Tobias nodded. "That is the problem."

Because the moment Victoria realized her prisoners had escaped, everything would collapse.

Not just for Annabeth and Nathan.

But for Tobias as well.

"There’s also another issue. How do we get this information to those from the pack? How do I tell them to start preparing?" he asked. "There must be a way."

Ryker exhaled slowly.

*That will be difficult. Victoria watches you. It’s a wonder she didn’t ask what you were always doing in the library these past two days or why she didn’t summon you.*

"Exactly."

Ryker sighed.

*We may need to speak with Annabeth or Nathan. We need to know if they’ve even found Benny and if they have a way for us to communicate with their pack members.*

Tobias rolled the map up again.

"I will need to find a way to meet them."

But before he could focus on that problem—

There was something else he needed to check.

Craig.

The thought made Tobias uneasy.

The infected child had touched Craig when they first arrived in the West.

At the time it had seemed insignificant. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Now it felt like a ticking clock.

Tobias left his chambers shortly after, heading toward the training grounds where Craig usually spent his time.

But before he could even begin searching—

A loud voice called out behind him.

"William!"

He turned.

Paul was walking toward him, laughing loudly.

The man looked far too amused.

"What’s so funny?" Tobias asked casually.

Paul slapped his shoulder.

"You heard the news?"

Tobias raised an eyebrow.

"What news?"

Paul burst out laughing.

"Craig!"

Tobias forced a confused expression.

"What about him?"

Paul leaned closer.

"He’s infected."

Tobias blinked in shock.

Paul continued, clearly enjoying the story.

"Apparently he was with some lover last night when it happened."

Tobias kept his face relaxed.

"He collapsed."

The man wiped tears of laughter from his eyes.

"Started coughing black blood everywhere that he even choked on it."

Tobias’s stomach twisted slightly.

Paul grinned.

"Poor bastard didn’t even finish what he started. I had to finish his lover off for him and then take him to the dungeons where the infected are kept. He really thought he was never going to get infected," Paul said laughing.

"I told him to see a priest or priestess after the child touched him but the bastard refused. Serves him right," Paul said laughing.

Tobias forced himself to laugh.

"Unfortunate timing."

Paul lifted a cup he had been holding.

"Well!"

He grinned widely.

"To Craig’s bad luck."

Tobias took the offered drink without hesitation.

He raised it calmly.

"To Craig," he said as he drank.

But inside Tobias’s mind, everything had gone quiet.

There was no doubt about it now.

The plague could spread from a single touch.

One moment of contact.

And now Craig was infected.

Which meant the danger was even greater than Tobias had originally believed.

He handed the empty cup back to Paul, who grinned.

"I sure hope I’m not next in line though. Anyways, I should go celebrate with the others."

After that, he turned and walked away.

Tobias did too.

One question remained in his mind.

Was it truly black magic?

Or something else entirely?

Tobias did not get the chance to investigate until a week later when Victoria summoned him to the same building where she kept Annabeth and Nathan.