Blackwood Treasure Maps 3 Novels & Stories

It had been damaged in the scuffle; the heavy leather back cover had been sliced by a jagged nail on the floorboards. As she touched the tear, she felt something hard tucked inside the lining. "Wait," she whispered. She peeled back the leather. Tucked into a hidden pocket in the spine of the book was a small, transparent piece of film—a microfiche—and a folded, hand-drawn map. Lucas knelt beside her, his anger replaced by an intense curiosity. He took the map. It wasn't a map of a city or a building. It was a schematic of a diamond—the Eternal Willow. But there were notations on the sides in her mother's elegant handwriting.

“Walk with me.” We walked into the woods. No guards. No backup. Just two wolves who’d killed enough people to know when to stop talking and start listening. When we were deep enough that neither pack could see us, he stopped and pulled out a map. Not Blackridge’s map. Mine. Redwood’s border map, marked with red X’s in my own handwriting. “You’ve been busy,” he said. I glanced at it. “Vex’s old routes. Rogue drop points. I’ve been closing them.”

They’d both struggled in school with this. “It just might. But it’s also telling us we need more than just the book. Look here. On the book cover. These symbols are from the desk. I’ve got the order they are in on my phone now. I suspect our order was incorrect and if we follow this order, we’ll find the compartment.” Becky backed away from the portrait, examining the video she’d just taken. “Now what about the map?” She clapped her hands together. “Guys! Guys, come here! It worked here too! They hide the pertinent information with black light. Look! It’s all here and a lot more.” Again, she snapped photos and videos. “Dang. I need to back this up manually or it won’t save it. My phone’s mem

I pulled several rolled-up parchment maps from my leather satchel and tossed them onto the long conference table. “Here are all the land surveys for the Blackwood territory.” I paused, then unhooked a sigil made from a wolf’s fang from my belt and placed it on top of the maps. “And this is the War Fang Sigil. It commands the pack’s warriors.” Cora’s eyes lit up. She eagerly reached out and snatched the sigil and maps, pulling them to her chest. The sigil still carried my scent, and she recoiled for a second as if burned.

Amateurs. “How can you be sure? Mrs Blackwood isn’t 100% sure it was Mr Bertrand.” He quizzes “Because.” I hold up the couple of butts I collected, “It’s his brand of cigarettes.” I shrug, I should know. I bought them often enough, and smelt them on his breath. I shudder at the thought. Luke stands next to me and puts his arm around my waist pulling me close. “More than one person smokes that brand Miss Blackwood.” he looks sceptical.

Shifters healed fast, but the steel—the one material that could nullify his strength—kept the wound raw and stinging. In the corner, Kan Nelblack lay like a discarded doll. The enforcer was pale, his breathing a shallow, rattling whistle. They’d taken him down with a surgical strike to the throat using a splinter of wormwood. It was a rare, toxic wood from the old Sopttyi District, almost mythical in its lethality to those with Kan's particular bloodline. Legend said the toxins weren't from the tree itself, but the parasites living within the grain. Wormwood manacles, carved with jagged precision, circled Kan’s wrists and neck. The wood hissed against his skin, smelling like singed meat.

Even the ones under Draven's rule would rather die than let a peasant such as myself speak before them. Clearing his throat, Draven said while staring at me intently. “Let's get straight to the point, you want revenge and I need the Map of Joaska. I have no idea where it is hidden nor do I have the time to spend searching for it. As I have other cities to conquer, rule and attend to.” He began, taking a deep breath he continued. “The map of every town is held by the general of each town. And only three people have access to it, the general, his son the Alpha and his wife. Which means that Joaska's map is in the Blackstorm's Mansion and only you can get it for me.”

As we made our way downstairs, Alpha Maxwell was already in the dining room, surrounded by maps and documents recovered from the Blackthorne estate. "You're awake," he said, relief evident in his weathered face. "We were concerned after... what happened yesterday." "I'm fine," I assured him, though Diamond's presence still felt muted, as if she too needed recovery time after the goddess's direct intervention. "Have you found anything?" Alpha Maxwell gestured to the maps spread across the table. "We've identified three possible locations where your brother might be held, based on the documents recovered from the basement and information extracted from Clyde."

"It was the northern syndicate! The Blackwood pack!" David frowned, exchanging a sharp look with me. "Blackwood?" I demanded, stepping closer to the thrashing man. "They operate three hundred miles away. They have no business in my territory." "They do now!" The rogue coughed, clutching his shattered knee. "The whole region knows you bought Chandler’s debt! They know you are distracted by the human bitch! Blackwood wants the trade routes! They paid us to find a weak point in your southern wall!" A cold, heavy knot twisted in my gut.

Ama was contemplating an effective way to gain access to the Blackwoods mansion. Mr. Reynolds had already given her a file containing everything she needed to know about the family, and she had spent all of last night reviewing it and conducting her own research. The Blackwoods came from old money, which they gained from their construction business, and talent for creating unique art pieces. Which have aided them in their money laundering.