I frowned in confusion, and picked it off the coffee table. No one ever called me on this, and the phone didn't recognise the caller ID.
"Hello?" I went as I picked up.
"H-hi."
"Cole? I didn't expect you to get in touch so soon."
"There's something outside my house, but no one else can see it!"
Worry flooded my stomach. It could be anything out there.
"Okay, what does it look like?"
"A black horse. It's got really creepy yellow eyes."
I froze in place for a second, then started speaking rapidly.
"Okay, keep an eye on it, but don't leave the house. Understand?"
"Yeah."
"Good. I'm on my way." I stood up, grabbing my keys. "I'll be in the few minutes."
"Why? Is it dangerous?"
"Potentially. Don't make eye contact with it whatever you do."
"O-okay. See you in a minute."
"See you." I hung up and pulled on my shoes as I went for the door, Taboo quickly at my heels and dodging one of the girls instrument cases.
"What's going on?" Asked Tara, vaulting over the sofa.
"Nightmare outside Cole's house. I didn't think they'd find him so soon."
"We gotta help him!"
"What do you think I'm doing? Popping to the shops?"
"Sorry. Can I come?"
"You're technically my superior, you tell me." I gave Tara a half smile before leaving the house and sprinting for the lake.
Tara made it to the entrance before me, but I had to open it. I thudded my foot by the flower and disappeared down the Tunnel with Taboo at full size and Tara just behind me.
We exited to the Departure Cavern and immediately went up on an ice pillar to the temporary Tunnel we'd made to get to Cole's house.
We made it through in record time and I skated for Cole's house while Tara took to the air.
There were more Nightmares now, and a Descendant of Pitch giving them orders to surround the house.
"I think that's enough." I said, sliding to stop.
They turned to face me, face turning to a scowl. I vaguely recognised him as Spiky Hair from years ago. He'd bulked out. "Should have known it wouldn't take long for you to show up."
He turned to the Nightmares. "You lot." He pointed at half of them, then turned to me. "Get her."
The Nightmares charged and I rose a barrier to block as Tara cried out.
"Go to Cole. Now!" I yelled at her. "You can defend him even if he can't see you! Taboo, deal with the others!"
"Oh, and the newest Guardian, what a lovely surprise."
Taboo sped off to the back of the house to do what I'd asked and I turned to the three Nightmares coming for me.
I gritted my teeth and shattered the barrier, sending the shards into the Nightmares. The shards of ice halted them, but didn't get rid of them, stronger than usual, great, Spiky Hair had been practicing.
I formed my blades and charged, slashing at their throats and bodies. One disappeared to the wind with an almost direct hit to the throat, the other two just looked annoyed.
They dodged my blades and as I went for one the other bucked me in the chest with a crack, sending me flying across the street.
I narrowly avoided someone's fence and almost cried out as pain spiked across my chest. Both Nightmares came over, but one seemed to grow in size, with streams of sand coming towards me as the other waited patiently.
It was preparing Morte Pavidum.
"Not tonight." I snarled, sending an ice blast into its body. It screamed and backed off, parts of its body frozen as I sent more ice at it, freezing it solid.
I flared my fingers and it shattered, crumbling to pieces.
Spiky Hair glared as I got to my feet, trying not to wince from the pain in my chest.
"Why can't you take a hint?"
"Stubbornness is a family trait." I said, lowering the temperature in the air around me. "I suggest you leave before this ugly."
Frost began to coat the tarmac, which was still warm from the late spring sun. That didn't really matter as Spiky Hair went into a fighting stance.
"You wanna go Descendant of Frost?!"
"I'd rather not, but if you insist." My voice was as cold as the air around me. When he didn't react I moved around, sliding my feet in a typical martial arts fashion, but it could be mistaken for dancing if it wasn't for the loose guarding block.
He shadowed me, covering his part of the street in black sand. This was very open which was concerning, although it was late, and I hoped that Spiky Hair had done his recon and knocked everyone else in the street out.
He flared his arm out and sent a stream of sand my way. I waited until it was almost on me before turned in a tight circle, freezing the sand as it passed by. It curved around the back of my head and shot back towards him, and he had to duck to the avoid it. The icy sand collided with the lamp post behind him, leaving frozen spiky sand stuck to it.
I exhaled calmly and let the nearby air temperature drop even further. Ice crystals formed and joined together to form shapes. Whips, floating spears, dis-embodied legs and finally, my own set of wings appeared, each made of ice.
Without thinking I used my enormous ice wings to rocket into the air, as the whips cracked and the legs hopped over to Spiky Hair. I'd learnt a lot from the Bergland books, and had gotten a lot better with making ice become as fluid as water.
His face paled at the display, but he quickly tried to match me by forming more Nightmares. No, not Nightmares, they didn't have the yellow eyes, they were just horses made from black sand. Yes, there is a difference.
Horses were all he needed, as they charged my various disembodied weapons. Which might not have been his best idea, as they were quickly dispatched.
The sand dropped and I hovered, looking down at the Descendant of Pitch. "I suggest you go home."
"And the boy? Don't deny that we're both here for him." He called up to me, pointing at Cole's house. Glancing over I could see Tara stationed outside his window, which he was looking through with awe.
"I'm here because he asked me to be." I said, narrowing my eyes. "Why are you here?"
"He is a Descendant of the one who killed our ancestor, and he is not under your protection! And you led us right to him!"
I tried not to wince and my eyes narrowed further. "Clearly you didn't get the full report when it happened. The Guardian Angel was not using a weapon that could kill immortals. Pitch is down, but not out."
"It doesn't matter, it still happened! And since mortals cannot begin to compete with immortals, the Descendant will have to do."
"Then you will have to go through me."
"You just want him to join your little, select, club!" He snorted
"What he does is his decision."
"You can't deny that's what you want him to do."
"...Yeah, so he's not in as much danger from the likes of you!"
Spiky Hair growled and formed whips of black sand, snapping them towards me.
I pictured what I wanted my wings to do and the ice obeyed, allowing me to dodge. I silently thanked Tara for giving me some pointers as I ducked and dived for Spiky Hair, air practically crackling around me.
His hair began to frost over as I approached. He cracked her whips again and sent one towards me, catching my shoulder.
I hissed in pain and changed direction, forming ice shards as I did so. Flying backwards I shot them towards Spiky Hair.
She tried to catch them with her whips, but I moved them in such a way so that they weren't hit. I made the ice slice through the whips and graze his arms lightly.
Before we got any further the front door of Cole's house burst open and Thomas left it, carrying a shotgun of all things.
I just stared at the weapon as Gary pointed it Spiky Hair, his fingers tight on the trigger. Descendants didn't use guns, it was one of those un written rules, we just didn't.
"...Mr Gray?" I said cautiously as I landed. Spiky Hair was just glaring at him, almost daring Thomas to shoot him. Despite that he looked oddly confident, boosted by fear that even I could tell was coming off Thomas.
"Mr Gray, put it down." I said, my wings disappearing as I landed and walked over to him, my hands out in front. Thomas was practically shaking.
"Y-you s-stay away from my son!"
Spiky Hair looked between the pair of us, glanced up at the window where Cole was and looked around. One combat ready Descendant, one gun wielding father, a Guardian and an ice tiger who was prowling up behind me and splattered with black specks. He didn't seem to like her odds.
"...With pleasure." He hissed, and disappeared into the shadows.
Okay, I couldn't go this long without a fight scene.