"Have you ever played chess?"
"No."
"Unlike Xiangqi, in chess, there are situations where the king must lead the charge himself."
Dr. Quinlan briefly explained the rules to her, then drew six chess pieces on the side.
"King, Queen, Bishop, Knight, Rook, Pawn..." He tapped the spot for the king, his gaze falling upon her.
Mia Grant seemed to understand. "You want to ask which one I think I am?"
"You are the king."
Mia Grant thought for a moment, then asked, "Then what are you trying to ask?"
"Which piece do you think Yates Donovan is?" he coaxed. "The knight? Or the queen?"
After a long silence, Mia Grant shook her head. "He isn't on the board."
This answer was completely outside of Dr. Quinlan's expectations.
Even with his prompting, she hadn't been swayed.
"Because he's an anomaly. He's outside the chessboard, so the player has no ability to control him."
