Knight (Chess Chronicles Book 1)

by Riley Walker

  37

  Taken (Shelby’s POV)

  My days have run together. At the beginning I tried to keep up with how long I was here, in this cinder block prison cell, but I have been sick lately and I can’t determine the days from the nights anymore. I am being kept in a windowless square, the only time I see anyone is when Hawkeye brings me food or Rook comes in to interrogate me about Frannie. I have no clue what he wants, but no matter what I say he still doesn’t believe me. He says he is the commander of the Renegades, whatever that means.

  Two weeks earlier…

  I was having another bad day. I read the letter Frannie had left for me again, looking for any kind of clue to what had really happened. I know even if she did have a family emergency she would have come to find me or at least called me to let me know she was leaving. She is the only person I have ever admitted my abandonment issues to. She would never just take off and leave me like this. A knock on my door stops me from allowing the tears from falling again.

  I open the door and a very tall, very attractive man is standing before me. He definitely has the wrong room. I open my mouth to tell him this when I feel a prick in my neck. By the time I realize the arm he had casually been leaning against the doorframe is now holding onto a needle sticking out of me, it's already too late. Black has begun filling my vision and the last thing I see is the sinister smile on his handsome face.

  When I come to I am in a square room with cinderblock walls. There is no window, only a glass door leading out. I am laying on a cot, still in my clothes thank goodness. My ballet slippers are missing but my skinny jeans and my grey tee that says “I Wish These Were Brains” across my chest are still intact. I sit up and dizziness takes over. Whatever they knocked me out with was some strong crap. Franchesca would kick my ass for letting that man get the upper hand on me. I see a pretty face and suddenly all three years of MMA and defensive training fly out the window. Way to go Shelby.

  In the corner of my hell is a toilet and sink. Wait, am I in jail? This is exactly what a jail cell on TV looks like. Is this a prank? I’m not rushing any sororities so that wouldn’t be it. Did Colton do this? Is this some type of test to see if I can protect myself? This is something he would do. I swear if Colton is behind this I am so going to punch him in the nuts.

  Before I have the chance to plot my revenge on my so-called best friend, another very large, very handsome man stands in from of the glass door of my cell. Where did Colton find all these fine men?

  I attempt to stand again and walk over to the door, “Who are you and where am I?”

  “My name is Rook and I am the leader of the Renegades. Hawkeye, my second in command got a little over zealous when I sent him out on his mission. He was never supposed to bring you back here.”

  “Wait. What? I thought this was some sort of prank Colton did. Are you telling me the tall, dark and yummy man actually drugged and then kidnapped me? The hell am I? You better start answering my questions right now Rook!”

  “I will tell you only what I feel you need to know. I need information from you. I am looking for the Princess. You may know her as Franchesca? I just need to speak with her but they wouldn’t let me near her and then she disappeared one night. Once I found out she was in the Earth Realm, I started looking for her. My informant would only give me the vicinity of her whereabouts. She told me I have to work for the rest.”

  He finishes his sentence with an eye roll. Like we are having an everyday conversation. This man is cray-cray.

  “So, basically, you are telling me that Hawkeye was sent to retrieve Frannie but since she wasn’t there, I was the lucky runner-up? You know this is seriously messed up. Why do you need Frannie? What can she possibly do for you? She’s like me, a simple university student trying to finish and figure out where we want to go next.”

  “Ahhh, now I understand your confusion. You do not know who Franchesca really is do you?”

  “I know exactly who she is. She is my best friend and she had a family emergency. She had to leave last week. Who do you think she is?”

  “Franchesca is the Princess of the Light Fey Kingdom and the future Queen of both Light and Dark Kingdoms. She is no ordinary student Shelby.”

  “Frannie is a Princess? My best friend Frannie? The same one that never heard of coffee and burned half her hair off? That Frannie? There is no way she is royalty.”

  “I assure you, Franchesca is most definitely royalty.”

  “That still doesn’t answer my question. Why do you need to speak to her and how is kidnapping me going to help you achieve this? I highly doubt she knows where I am. If she does, then she definitely wouldn’t be willing to speak with my kidnapper.”

  “I need her to see our ways. I need her to understand why the Renegades have waged war on the Fey Kingdoms. I am tired of fighting and seeing innocent people die. I only want justice for my people. The Inferiors, my class of society, deserves to have the same rights as everyone else. We are tired of being treated like we are beneath everyone!”

  “I don’t know if you heard me, but Frannie isn’t at the university anymore. She left. Even if I could help you to talk with her, I have no idea where she is. I mean, she told me she was from the Netherlands.”

  “I know you are telling the truth. I can smell a lie. If you cannot help me then I cannot help you and you, Shelby, just became my bait.”

  Rook walks away after telling me this. If this is true and Frannie is a Princess and she finds out I am being held prisoner by these Renegades I have no doubt she won’t move mountains to get to me. The problem is, do I want her to? I don’t want her being hurt trying to help me. I have no one other than her or Colton. My parents along with the rest of my family are all gone. I have been on my own for four years now. It would kill me if something were to happen to her because of me. I need to talk to Rook again. I have to make him see that this is not the way to get her attention.

  Geez. Hasn’t he heard of a flower shop?

  I must have dozed off after my conversation with Rook because I am woken later by the sound of my door being open. Hawkeye comes in with a tray full of food. The aroma hits me and my stomach growls, reminding me that I didn't take the time this morning to eat breakfast.

  On the tray is a chunk of meat that slightly resembles pot roast like my mom used to make, a baked potato and piece of bread. He also brought me a glass of water. I eye the tray wearily.

  “Is this poisoned or drugged?” I ask him.

  He has the audacity to laugh at me.

  “No human. Against my better judgement, Rook does not want you dead, yet.”

  Hawkeye turns around and walks out the door. I decide to say the hell with it and dig in. It isn’t the best thing I have ever eaten, but it is better than some of the crazy concoctions Frannie and I tried to cook on our hotplate. Neither one of us should be allowed in the kitchen. Well, except to make a cup of coffee.

  This may make me certifiably insane, but for some reason I believe Rook as I listen to him explain how he and his people, the Inferiors, are treated. No education or healthcare of any kind. Low birth rates because of their poor health and workers literally being worked to death.

  Frannie would never allow something like this. I may not know everything about her, but I do know her. No matter who she is here, she will always be my best friend and I know with every fiber of my being that if Frannie knew about this, she would be the first to stand up and help Rook. So why does he need to use me as bait? Will he kidnap Frannie? Rook turns to leave but I stop him.

  “Rook, can I get a cup of coffee? I am having serious withdrawals.”

  “I am sorry. A cup of what?”

  “Coffee.”

  “Coffee?”

  “Yeah, coffee. You know, liquid gold, caffeine joy in a cup, java, coffee?”

  “We have no such thing here. I have water.”

  “No coffee?”

  “No.”

  “ROOK?!”

  “WHAT!?”

  “I
’m going to need you to let me the hell out of here. I can’t be without my coffee. Like, I do not function without it. You'll have to find someone new to be your bait because I will not survive without my coffee.”

  Over the next few days, Rook lets me out of my cage and shows me around the Renegade camps. I am shocked by what I see. There are tents everywhere. Open fires for heat and cooking, lines to lay your clothes across after washing them in the small creek that runs through the camp. Everything is so basic. It reminds me of the pictures I have seen in history books about the Civil War camps. This is how these people have lived their entire lives.

  One thing about the Inferiors, they are the politest group I have ever encountered. Everyone waves and speaks to Rook and I as we walk the grounds. Is this for real or a set up? Hawkeye seems to be everywhere and is always giving me the stink eye. I have decided that man just has a permanent burr up his butt.

  A few hours after returning to my prison, a pain erupts over my entire body. It is too hot, too intense. I feel like I am on fire but freezing at the same time. I feel ripples running down my back and I’m not sure if it's just me shaking or something is seriously wrong. Suddenly, darkness overtakes me.

  I must have passed out because Rook is standing over me with a scowl on his face. What’s he so pissed about? I’m the one in pain.

  “Are you alright Shelby?”

  “I don't feel so well Rook. The pain is everywhere and I think I’m getting spasms down my spine.”

  Rook looks down at me and I swear I see a look of empathy in his eyes.

  “Damn. Hawkeye should have left you in the human realm. Do I not have enough problems?” He bends down touching my forehead and asks what hurts.

  “Everything,” I say before the world turns black on me once again.

  I wake up to a pacing Rook, running his fingers through his short brown hair. I must have made a sound because he quickly turns and sits down on the cot near my legs. “Your fever broke earlier then spiked back up again. It just broke for the second time about an hour ago. Have you been feeling like this before and just not telling me?”

  I clear my throat and tell him that this is the first time I had such a searing pain and the fever.

  “Do you think I’ve contracted something because I’m not from this realm and things are different?”

  Rook looks at me and, is that pity I see in his eyes?

  “Oh hell. I’m dying aren’t I? Is it a tumor?”

  “It is not a tumor.”

  “Than what the heck is wrong with me?”

  Rook grimaces. “If a human enters the Fey realm and they have any otherworld blood in them, they will change into their true form. I believe you are a shapeshifter and you are about to experience your first shift. Being an alpha, I can help you by forcing it to happen.”

  “Do what? Change how? What is an alpha and what are you changing me into? A shapeshifter like a werewolf? Am I going to start howling at the moon?”

  “No Shelby. A shapeshifter is half animal, half human. We have animals in us that we can call upon. Stand up so I can help you.”

  This man is nuts!

  Rook doesn’t say anything else but I stand as he walks over to me and places his hand on my head. I start to feel a tingling sensation and a tremor running through my body. Pain explodes all over and I feel like my bones are breaking. I can feel my neck stretching and hear my shoulders pop. There are thousands of needles poking me and my legs seem to be pulling up into my stomach before finally just giving out. Rook steps back and I have to crane my neck up to look at him. Did I shrink?

  “Well, I’ll be damned.”

  Rook scans me up and down several times, an intrigued look on his face. "I have only heard of others like you. You Shelby, are an Emperor penguin.”

  What the heck did he just say? I look down and see a white belly and black webbed feet. I lift my arms but I don’t see arms, instead I see a pair of black flippers. Rook produces a small, round mirror and I see a long black beak with orange running on the side and bright yellow plumage where my ears should be. There is also pale yellow across my chest and around my neck. I’m a penguin. I am a freaking penguin?!

  Rook asks me if I am ready to change back and I shake my head no.

  I need a few more minutes to grasp the concept that I just turned into a penguin. Why couldn’t I have been something big, strong and intimidating. I decide to try out my sea legs *snort*. Oh no. Not only am I a penguin, but I have started snorting like Frannie. Could this day get any better? I sigh to myself. At least I haven’t lost my sense of humor in this form.

  I take my first step and realize I have no knees. I cannot take a step, I can only waddle. Are you freaking kidding me?

  I waddle around the room and huff to myself.

  I snap my short neck to the side when I hear a muffled sound. Rook is bending over, hands on his knees and his body is shaking. Is he crying? It isn’t that bad. I mean, it isn’t good, but being a penguin might be kind of fun. I waddle towards him, ready to console him when I realize he isn’t crying because he’s sad for me.

  He is laughing. Rook is laughing so hard he is doubled over and tears are running down his face. I pull back my right flipper and smack him on his ass! This makes him laugh harder and now he can’t hold in the sound. He may be hot, but he laughs like a hyena. Maybe that’s what he changes into?

  Rook finally stands up and wipes his eyes.

  “I am so sorry Shelby but the sight of you waddling around, it was unexpected. Are you ready now for me to help you change back?”

  I nod my head yes and Rook once again lays his hand on my head.

  The pain is not as fierce as before and when I blink, I am once again in my human form. My naked human form. Rook looks away and I grab some clothes from the bag on my floor. Thank goodness Rook gave me some t-shirts and sweats shortly after I arrived here.

  Shifting for the first time is an exhausting experience and before I can ask Rook any more questions, I pass out. Again.

  38

  Not What He Seems (Shelby’s POV)

  I have learned a lot about myself and my heritage from Rook.

  He says at least one of my parents had to have been a penguin shifter. That would explain my dad’s obsession with them and his favorite mug having a penguin on it. Rook also told me that I am the first Emperor Penguin he has ever seen. He heard stories of penguins from long ago, but apparently I am special and rare. I had to ask him about my diet because penguins live off of fish and crustaceans. I do not eat fish of any kind.

  Rook thought this was hilarious and the next time I shifted, I whacked him with my flipper in the back of his knee. Taught him not to laugh at me again.

  It took Rook a few days to trust me enough to show me his animal. I asked him relentlessly until he finally gave in. He kept telling me it was rude to ask another shifter what they were but I’m new to this culture and I don’t know any better.

  So I kept asking.

  When he gave in and shifted the first time, I about peed myself. He is a Saber Tooth Tiger. I thought they were extinct. When I mentioned this fact to him, I received another lesson in history.

  Long ago, hunters found a large group of Saber Tooth Tigers in the Mid-West USA. While the tigers were sleeping, they snuck up on them and killed half the tiger ambush. This continued to happen all over the Earth Realm so their leader at the time petitioned the King of the Light and Dark Fey Kingdoms and was granted permission to reside in the Fey Realm as long as they remained peaceful with the other shifters. His ancestors left Earth, thus the Saber Tooth Tiger became extinct. When the hunters attacked, most of the tigers killed were females because they are much slower and they were trying to protect the young. Because of the massive loss of females, their birth rates have been low and now there are only around sixty tigers left.

  Rook went on to explain that there is a prophecy about a Queen. Once peace is brought back to the Kingdoms, the ability for the shifters to reproduce should be correcte
d and the low numbers of the tigers and other shifter species will rise. I asked him about this prophecy but he isn’t sure when or who the Queen is that will bring them peace. This is at least what he is telling me. I can tell he is holding back information. The only thing he will confirm about this Queen is that supposedly, she has multiple Fated Mates. I can’t imagine having one Fated Mate, but to have more than one? No thank you.

  Rook and I have spoken several times about Frannie. I tell him stories about the crazy things we did and talking about her and Colton help me not to feel so lonely. Rook and I have developed a friendship with him becoming like a mentor to me. This Realm had begun to feel like home, like this is where I should have always been. He says it’s the animal in me being content because my penguin is finally surrounded by other shifters. I never had a brother and Rook has taken on that role. Frannie may feel betrayed by my closeness with him, but I know once I tell her who and what I really am, she will understand. Once she has the opportunity to meet him she will see that he is a good man trying to do right by his people.

  I have asked Rook why he doesn’t send word to Frannie that I am here or just take me to her but he says it is still too dangerous. His contact at the castle told him to keep me here, to keep me safe and Frannie will come for me soon. I do not know who his contact is, but I do know it is a she and I know he has a lot of respect for her. He will not tell me who she is, only that it is a very important person to him.

  This morning when I woke up, my body was extra stiff. Rook wants me to shift more so my body gets used to changing. I am still coming to terms with the whole ‘I’m a penguin’ thing and told him not to push it. I’ll waddle around my cell when I feel like it. I can at least shift on my own now.

  As I am getting ready for the day, Rook knocks on my glass door.

  “Morning Rook!”

  “Good Morning Shelby. My informant just contacted me and told me Franchesca and a small group left the castle before dawn this morning and is headed our way. Looks like you’re getting rescued today.”