The Ice Queen "Fight for your life" - Ch. 30 (Patreon)

Neytiri

The venue for Cassian’s press conference is extravagant. There are people everywhere, all of which are extremely interested in everything Cassian has to say. There are cameras, food, and drinks everywhere. And the people here seem to be indulging in all of it. The interior of the room is only for those that are press and investors, and what Cassian calls "important figures of society".

“They’re going to introduce you first. The investors really want into this project so we’ll give them plenty of time to have one on one conversations with you after the announcement.”

Cassian’s press agent is speaking to him with excitement in his eyes as he goes over the afternoon. He seems eager to please Cassian without a clue of who he really is. I stand quietly in the corner with Ulric by my side, watching Cassian seamlessly blend in with this society while simultaneously standing out. Ulric has yet to speak to me outside of his formal greetings.

“Can I ask you a question?” I ask looking at him.

“Of course, Your Highness.”

I grimace at his formal tone as his gaze remains forward.

“When Cassian lost his way, why did you never turn on him?” I ask.

Ulric thinks about my question for a moment before turning to look at me. His bright amber gaze is the color Caius’s once way before he changed his alliances. Ulric silently searches my gaze. I’m not sure what he’s looking for, but after a moment he finally responds.

“Cassian has struggled with more in his reign than his father ever had to. His father was a man of peace. He wanted understanding among the different Ancients. He wanted friendship to be his connection with the humans. His father craved peace too much. He was far too trusting. Especially for a King. He raised Cassian with those ideals. Cassian would have been a great King. He knew the benefit of peace, but also the firmness that needed to be in place with becoming King.”

“I have never doubted his decisions. I trust that everything he does, he does in the best interest of those he cares for. Having his family taken from him was a torturous thing to see. Seeing him try and cope with that reality was impossible to watch. But having lost so much, he is always thinking about those he cares for. And I believe his people are among those. So I will never doubt him.”

My eyes widen at his words. I look back to Cassian who is speaking with the coordinator. He has a serious look on his face as he speaks with the man. His mannerism is distant and cold. Something that has changed in the time he has been with me. Ulric is right. Everything Cassian does is to protect those he loves. As the daughter of a king myself, I understand his resolve. My father was willing to do the same thing to protect his people. Even if it meant giving his daughter to the very people he hates.

Cassian chooses this moment to make his way toward me and Ulric. He takes my hand in his leading me away from the center of the stage.

“I’ve prepared a private box for you to watch the conference from. Noam will keep watch over you during the conference and bring you to me once the conference ends.”

I nod my head looking around the room.

“Do you think any of these people are the ones that attacked?” I ask. Cassian looks around.

“I hope not, for their sake,” he says.

I look at him in shock, his dark tone reminding me just of who he is behind the suit.

“Cassian, you can’t risk exposing yourself for me,” I warn.

Cassian frowns.

“If any danger befalls you, I will not hesitate to protect you.”

“Whoever they are, they only know about my existence. They still think you are human. You have to keep it that way. If anything happens to me, you have to protect our people. You have brought them here, not me,” I say.

Cassian’s expression breaks and he smiles placing his hand on both sides of my face placing my forehead against his.

“I will do anything you ask of me. But that is the one thing I will not do.”

He holds my face firm, forcing our eyes to meet. His pupil sharpens as he studies me, his tone cold.

“Do you understand?”

I shudder from his tone, but luckily Ulric chooses the moment to interrupt us.

“They’re ready.”

Cassian’s gaze remains focused on mine. Finally, he stands placing a quick kiss on my forehead.

“I will see you when the press conference ends.”

The conference is as boring as I thought it would be. The room is filled to the brim as Cassian announces the new project, and the crowd eats it up. All of them are fascinated by the concept. Cassian explicitly expressed he wanted to keep me away from the eyes of the press, so I remain in the private box for the next two hours until Noam is given the signal to bring me to Cassian.

We silently make our way out of the private box and into the main hall of the building. My gaze shifts to the large chandelier that hangs over the heads of everyone as part of the vaulted ceiling. It’s extravagant. The doors to the ballroom open and Cassian steps into the hall, surrounded by cameras and reporters, all of which are bombarding him with questions. His eyes meet mine across the room and he smiles softly before turning back to the reporters, attempting to answer their questions.

It’s fascinating to see all the people vying for his attention. I wonder if it’s because of his nature that they wish to be seen by him.

I tense as a loud crack fills the air. The vibrations ripple over the room and I immediately know where it is coming from. The heavy creak of glass fills the air just as the chandelier I was admiring seconds ago breaks free of whatever was holding it in place. It comes careening down, in danger of killing everyone within ten feet of me, if not the entire hall from the recoil.

It falls so fast, I don’t have time to dodge it. My gaze shifts across the room to see Cassian who is already shoving through the crowd. I cry out as my body is wrenched away, Noam jumping into me, pulling me out of the way of the massive decoration just as it hits the ground, the explosion ripping up the floor and sending people flying in each direction.

My eyes widen as Noam shifts and I sense the attackers before I see them. Noam’s body is wrenched away from me just as a heavyweight collides with my stomach, sending me flying. My body flies across the room, colliding with a thick pillar. I cry out in pain, but it’s drowned out by the screams of the aftermath of the chandelier.

My gaze shifts as fifteen humans make their way toward me knowingly, stepping over the bodies of the humans who didn’t make it out in time. I look past them to see Cassian coming towards me, his skin beginning to glow and cover itself in flames as he prepares to attack, ignoring my warnings earlier. Our eyes meet, and I see a brief panic in his gaze as he realizes what I am doing. I place my hand along the floor, and a massive wall of ice forms between my attackers and Cassian, blocking him off from what is about to happen.

I know he won’t be able to get through the wall. It’s the same ice I used during our battle, infused with the properties of my people. It will hurt him before he can get through.

“You clever bitch.”

My gaze shifts to the fifteen strangers standing over me in tactical gear. They are dressed similarly to the people that showed up on the island, and as I focus on their weapons, I can sense Ikniri meaning they are using the weapons created for me. I narrow my gaze.

“Who are you?” I hiss.

They don’t respond to me, but the one closest to me pulls out a gun, firing a shot. I easily dodge the bullet, my gaze narrowed. I’m shocked when Noam appears, flames erupting from his palms as he takes on eight strangers at a time. This is the green light the attackers need as they come towards me ready to fight hand to hand. One fires another bullet just as his friend uses the opportunity to strike. His fist comes in the direction of my dodge, colliding with the side of my face. I flinch as the hard bite of metal accompanies his attack, cutting the inside of my mouth.

I stumble back in confusion.

Humans can’t hurt me. Especially with their fists. But as I look at their gear, I slowly notice the improvements, including the tips of the brass knuckles on his fists. They are coated in something.

“The world already knows what you are. As we speak, the footage we have of your existence is being leaked to the world. So you can come with us the easy way, or we can drag your ass with us kicking and screaming.”

The assailant who speaks takes a threatening step towards me, pulling out a deadly-looking weapon.

“Please choose kicking and screaming. We lost good men to you, savage. And I have been dying to return the favor.”

My gaze shifts to Noam who is holding his own against now five of them all of which are prepared. Anger rips through me and I lunge for the human, ignoring his aim as he fires a shot at me. I flinch as pain ripples up my spine, paralyzing me for a moment as I stumble. I land inches from his feet, dodging his foot as it comes inches from my face. I land on my back, rolling away to throw up a wall of ice over me as I look at my wound. The pain is excruciating. And now blood has stained the white coat I was wearing. My gaze shifts to the ice blocking Cassian. I feel him trying to get in, but he can’t. His flames will take a long time to break through, and he can’t transform and risk destroying the building and crushing me along with my attackers.

I feel his anger mingled with desperation through our oath.

I take a deep breath, “I don’t want to kill you.”

I’m met with silence as a bullet hits the wall of ice protecting me. My anger rises as my feelings from the past come to the surface; humans turning on me because they fear me when I have done nothing to them, just like Loris and his men. My gaze shifts to Noam who is trying to make his way to me but is constantly being stopped. I can’t have him die like Gran because of me.

I slowly close my eyes, letting the ice cover my body as I slip the coat from my shoulders. My strength grows as I allow my true form to become visible, the floor beneath me crystalizing from the temperature drop. I stand from my hiding place, facing the humans. I can’t see their faces through their gear, but I smell their fear.

“I don’t want to kill you,” I repeat.

Ice covers my arms as my weapons form and I crouch in an offensive stance.

“But I will if I have to.”

Bullets come at me at a higher speed than the last, but I block them with the ice nonetheless. I make sure to cover my body with a thin layer to protect me from being hit just as I reach my nearest attacker, placing my palm against his face. A spear of ice forms, ripping through his skull instantly. Blood spills as he convulses against my hand, dropping to the ground beneath me.

“Bitch!”

Bullets come from all angles, but I block them until one actually nicks me. I form another spear, clasping it in my hands as I throw it with all my strength to my nearest attacker. I wait until the ice has pierced his chest to expand it, sending shards through his body the instant it meets his inner chest cavity.

I cry out just as a bullet pierces my palm, the sting enough to stun me so that a physical attacker comes at me. He throws a kick, and I block it with both hands. He counters in an attempt to swing at my head and I take the opportunity to grab his arm, my eyes boring into his through the mask as I release my ice at full power, instantly freezing him. He cries out in pain, and I jump back just as a bullet whizzes past my face.

I whip my gaze to the nearest wall, using my uninjured hand to blast a hole through the wall.

“Noam!” I shout his name, but flames cover his body as he looks at me with wide eyes.

“Go!”

I whip away in irritation, hoping the attackers will follow me as I use the momentum atop a patch of ice to escape, exiting with speed. The air is freezing, the wind blowing as I make it outside. I already feel better as I whip around to seal the hole. I seal it quickly, ignoring the gasps as humans surrounding me watch me do what is only possible in their legends and films. I turn away, pushing through the people.

A shot rips through the air just as a thick bullet rips through my back, coming out of my abdomen. My legs give out and I collapse, placing my palm over the wound. The people surrounding me scream, dispersing in an instant and as I look in the direction of the shot, I see a man atop the roof with a large weapon aimed at me. I narrow my gaze, the man blurring. I suddenly feel weak and sluggish as blood spills over my lips. My hand feels useless placed against the wound that gushes more blood by the second.

“Neytiri!”

Cassian’s voice rips through the haze and when I look he is running towards me.

“Shit,” I whisper.

I hold my hand out to him.

“Stay away!” I aim for him, hitting him in the chest. He cries out, his body knocked off his feet from the force just as another bullet rips through my arm. My eyes widen as rippling pain pours over me, and a large hole sits in my arm. Panic settles in just as my world slowly darkens.

“No,” I groan.

I’m losing control. The power within me pours out of me without a conductor as my brain shuts down. I am weak. I close my eyes trying to reign in my power. If I do, I could kill Cassian. I form a wall of ice over me, the material too thin to protect me as the spray of another bullet shatters it. My gaze shifts as I notice the water beyond. I stumble up, forcing my legs one in front of the other as another shot rings out. My eyes close, bracing for the pain that never comes, as I finally reach the water, plunging myself into the icy depths.