All Chapters of PAWN OR QUEEN: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Morrigan is awoken by her internal clock, meaning it should be around four o’clock in the morning, but still sitting in the dark stairwell, she has no way to confirm this. She could go back down the stairs to check her clock, but the moment she tries to move, her muscles cramp up. Her overall pain has greatly decreased since the night before–there’s almost definitely still a bruise on her cheek, though the swelling has gone down, there’s definitely still bruising around her ribs, considering they’re fractured, and her right arm still can’t hold any weight.Her heart pangs in her chest as she imagines Takota waiting for her in the clearing. She wants nothing more than to break the door down and run the entire way there, but she’s far from her full strength and the door is reinforced. If she wanted to break it down, she’d have to break it off its hinges. Tears sting her eyes and the feeling of powerlessness fills her entire being.The house is silent, so it can’t be any later than 5:30 A

She swallows harshly. Her heart starts to race as she wonders what is going to happen, but she knows that there’s nothing she can do about it.“Yes, Commander,” she says softly.Without further prompting, she pulls off her t-shirt, folds it, and places it on the ground. Then, she reaches for her long-sleeve underneath. She keeps her eyes on the ground, avoiding the reactions of the two guards. Pulling the hem of the shirt up, the bruises littering her ribs are immediately visible. She continues, pulling the shirt above her head and wincing as she slides her right arm out of the sleeve. Again, she folds it and places it on the ground with her t-shirt before reaching for her leggings.Nicholas holds up a hand to stop her, causing her to look up. She feels sick at the sight of concern, or maybe pity, in the two guards' eyes.“What happened, Morrigan?” Nicholas asks.“I fell down the stairs, Commander,” Morrigan answers. She swallows harshly, trying to stop the bile rising up from her th

“Is it alright if I use your shower?” Takota asks.The two women were now in Morrigan’s bedroom in the basement. Takota was taking in every detail, making Morrigan a bit self conscious. She’s still bewildered as to why and how the taller woman came to be standing in her bedroom.“Of course,” Morrigan responds, but then she pauses. “Let me get the water ready for you.”Before Takota can protest, Morrigan heads into the bathroom. She kneels down to turn on the shower and slowly moves the handle into the red. Placing her hand under the faucet, to her relief and surprise, the water heats up. She stands up and lets out a sigh. Oskar must have quickly turned the hot water to the basement back on. She exits the bathroom, motioning for Takota that the water is ready. The taller woman looks at her quizzically but enters the bathroom, taking her bag with and closing the door behind her.Morrigan all but collapses onto the bed, her head spinning. What was Takota playing at? She knew Takota didn

As per usual, Morrigan wakes to her internal alarm clock in the morning, the clock on her nightstand reading 4:00AM. Listening, she hears her brother and uncle asleep in their beds upstairs. Quietly, she changes into a sports bra and spandex shorts, slips her tennis shoes on, and sneaks up the stairs. She keeps to the sides of the steps and avoids the ones that she knows creak. At the top of the steps, she listens again, ensuring that Oskar and Ander are still asleep when she opens the door to the basement. From there, it’s easy to slip out the front door.She and Takota never really talked during their early morning training, but Morrigan finds herself missing her presence regardless. The street is silent, everyone still asleep in their homes as the sun peeks over the treetops. Morrigan makes her way towards the commons, then to the group training grounds, and further past that to the smaller cleari

“Tell everyone how you don’t allow Morrigan to eat the food that she cooks, and that this is started because she dared to speak up to you,” Ander says, standing between his uncle and his sister, talking loudly so that almost all the eyes in the street are on him.The Summit Keepers believe in survival of the fittest, but that does not mean they believe in abuse and beating others into submission. They believe in giving their young all of the resources they can so that they can survive, not withholding food or beating them. Sometimes putting someone pack in their place in the hierarchy requires fists to be thrown, but it is never against a defenseless opponent or for a stupid reason. Along with survival, they value fairness. Oskar looks around the street, taking in all of the eyes watching him, especially those of his nephew. He takes a s