The Ice Queen "A Gentle Reminder" - Ch. 25 (Patreon)

A deep rumble fills my senses, pulling me awake. I recognize the rumble. It’s a growl, the same growl that belongs to Tikaani. It’s the same growl I heard the day my village was destroyed before my mother came bursting through the doors to pull me away from my home forever.

My eyes fly open, my heart racing as I scan the room. My power fills my body, settling at my fingertips ready to strike if necessary. Tikaani is at the foot of the bed, his hackles raised as he growls at the intruder. I follow the direction of his anger to find Cassian standing in the doorway. His dark gaze meets mine, forcing my senses on high alert. I know it’s Cassian who stands in the doorway, but for some reason, my body won’t recognize it. My body clings to the fear that woke me from my slumber.

“T-Tikaani,” I whisper his name, hoping he’ll stand down. But he doesn’t. His growl grows and he takes a threatening step in Cassian’s direction. I squeeze my eyes shut, letting my panic surface.

“Tikaani, Vit!” I scream.

Thankfully, he senses the distress in my tone, his whine filling the air as he comes to where I am in the bed, laying his head on the edge. He places his head under my hand, forcing my fingers atop his head as he watches me in concern. I gently run my fingers through his thick fur, focusing on the soft texture as I breathe through my panic. I am not in my village and Cassian isn’t attacking. All of that has happened and it is in the past. Each of us has paid a heavy debt for our family's mistakes. We have moved on.

I lift my gaze as Cassian steps into the room, a soft smile on his lips. He studies Tikaani as he takes a seat on the edge of the bed.

“I see you found your friend,” he says eyeing Tikaani.

I look watch Tikaani as I speak.

“Wolves are more than just friends. They are family. They are chosen by each of us and they protect us in battle,” I say softly as I recall Tikaani disappearing on the day of the attack to protect us as we escaped.

“I guess that explains why he never left your side for the first part of your slumber. Luckily he trusted Caius enough when it was time to move you. He’s been with Caius ever since.”

I smile softly, shifting my gaze to Cassian.

On the outside, he looks content, but I can sense the lurking sadness beneath. I can’t tell specifically what that sadness is for, and he never tells me when I ask outright.

“How are you feeling after everything?” he asks.

I haven’t thought about how I’ve been feeling in all of this time. I feel overwhelmed with all of the information and happy that my people are alive and well. But these feelings are overshadowed by the threat that hangs over our heads. We’re in a time crunch and we don’t know how long it will last. And Caius shed light on a piece of the situation I hadn’t even thought of myself. Cassian and I are the protectors of this place now. Everyone will be looking to us for guidance. I feel guilt for retreating within myself, even for the short time that I did. It never occurred to me the level of worry my people and Cassian's might be feeling in this new world. Especially since the last time the humans got too close, everyone lost their home.

I laugh softly pulling Cassian’s attention.

“I was never meant to rule. It was Kesuk’s birthright. I was just meant to be a symbol of peace,” I say softly.

Cassian gently places a finger under my chin and lifts my gaze.

“Did you forget who you were meant to marry? Ruling was my birthright.”

I scoff, pulling away from his grip but he holds me tight, locking our gazes.

“Do you think you would have joined me in that?” he asks.

I immediately think of who Cassian was in the past. I’ve never known him prior to the attack on my people. But everyone that has always speaks of how he changed since. I muster up the best smile I can, pulling away from Cassian.

* * * * *

I spend the day in the village, once again immersing myself with my people. More of them have traveled from the mountainside to see for themselves my return. Today, however, I am only accompanied by Caius and not Cassian. Whatever is keeping him busy must be important, as I haven’t seen him since this morning. The more time I spend in the village, the more the weight of reality weighs on me. All of this is in danger.

Cassian owns all the rights to the island, the space surrounding it, and whatever is beneath it. He made sure no one on the outside could have any access and it remained that way for centuries. But with my awakening comes a new threat. The doctors that Cassian released have taken information from our island, information about me that is threatening to them, and now our people will suffer for it.

“Is something wrong?”

Caius pulls me out of my thoughts as we walk along the street. I shift my gaze to the shops as we pass by, smiling at the Ikniri who greet me.

“I’m just worried for everyone is all. I don’t want this way of life to end because of me. I feel like we’re waiting for them to attack,” I say softly.

“I’m sure once Cassian finds out who is solely responsible, we’ll attack.”

I laugh bitterly.

“It all just leads to war. Don’t you see? It won’t end with them. It will only begin it and provoke them. Then it will be us against the entire world.”

My gaze shifts to the mountains.

“Do the Dragonborn know? Do they know anything about what is happening?”

Caius shrugs.

“Ulric knows more about the Dragonborn than I do. I no longer speak for them,” he says softly.

I release a frustrated breath as my head begins to throb. These were the decisions my father dealt with daily, and my brother was meant to inherit. I was never meant to rule the Ikniri tribe, only to become a symbol of peace for my people by marrying into the Dragonborn’s family. That unrealized dream has now been brought into the modern world, with more than just fragile peace threatening our way of life. Our entire existence is being threatened. And yet it feels like we are sitting on our hands, waiting for the humans to make their move.

I hate being at the mercy of others.

“You know, you are free to visit the Dragonborn if you’d like,” Caius says.

“Really?” I ask.

He nods.

“Of course. You and Cassian share a blood oath. They are your people too.”

My footsteps falter as I mull over his words.

“Can you take me there?”

Caius’s eyes widen and he stops walking altogether.

“I don’t know. Cassian won’t be happy about it,” he says.

I roll my eyes, making my way to the estate.

“Tell Cassian to meet me there.”

Instead of taking me to the Dragonborn village, Caius takes me to the top of the mountain, where Cassian is waiting. I try to hide my irritation with Caius’s decision, as I know Cassian probably coerced him into doing this. My speculations are confirmed as Cassian smiles upon my approach, holding his hand out to me. The sun has begun to set over the mountainside as Cassian leads me to the edge.

“The Dragonborn village isn’t anything like the Ikniri. They live in seclusion. The air is much warmer than what you’re used to, and to get there by car would take eight hours.”

I turn to face Cassian.

“So how long by flight?” I ask earning a smile.

It’s strange looking at him this way. The constant guard he once held has fallen, his malice gone. He is different.

“Dragonborn aren’t like Ikniri. They haven’t forgiven them for what happened. They haven’t forgiven me quite yet either,” he says softly.

I recall the day Cassian was called away because Hynden arrived. I vaguely recognize the name as someone he dealt with in the past, but the night of her being here Cassian’s office was destroyed by flames. It was the same night I felt something shift in the blood oath. I watch Cassian silently as he looks over the mountainside. He’s stubborn in his ways, but that is one of the burdens of being a king. And until now, he’s had no one to confide in about this. I gently pull my hand from his grip, stepping to the edge of the mountainside.

When I face Cassian, he’s watching me with a strange expression. I don’t speak, only giving Cassian a knowing smile before stepping off the edge of the cliff. Shock crosses his features and he’s moving forward, opening his mouth to stop me.

“Neytiri-”

I jump.

The wind whips around me fast and hard, the plummet forcing my stomach to flip and my adrenaline to spike. I open my mouth, letting a scream of excitement leave my lips as the ground comes at me fast. But I know I will never hit the ground, just as I know Cassian will be the one to prevent it from happening. All he ever needs is a little push.

A burst of heat washes over me from above. The blood oath between us is as clear as it’s ever been as his body swoops beneath mine, cushioning me on his large back in his dragon form. I quickly thread my fingers through his thick hair to anchor myself as we fly through the air, climbing to heights high above the clouds.

Cassian’s wings beat loudly in the air as he rises above the mountains.

“So, a flight it is then,” I murmur.

He releases a deep bellow beneath me, his large body anchoring as he shifts in a new direction. He’s flying away from the village. Excitement courses through me as I finally realize a part of Cassian that he keeps on the surface. He’s always refined, keeping himself reserved for the sake of control. It reminds me of what he said on the island. That I embody the spirit of the ancients, and I think that is what Cassian needs at this point, to remember his life before it was taken from him and be pushed in the direction of moving forward. 

I lean against him as he continues to fly in the direction of the village, intent to follow through on my newfound purpose.