A Case of Catastrophes

XV. Familiars

It was dark. We were inside a hollow Sycamore tree. I could hear everyone's pensive breathing. People were shouting outside, mostly men yelling orders. I could hear trees being sawed open, their branches falling, furniture being turned over and glass breaking. They were wrecking through the compound trying to find us.

Why you may ask? Well, a few minutes after we arrived at the Green & Greene compound, the alarms sounded. One of Sky's workers told us that Nimbus police had infiltrated the compound. Everyone then hid inside the massive trees for their own safety.

"Is everybody okay?" Ty whispered but Sky shushed him.

It was silent for a moment, until something banged on the tree. First once, then twice and then it just went on consistently. The buzzing rang in my ears. It went on for a few minutes and then it stopped.

Just when we thought it was all over, we heard banging again, but it was from another tree. Sky let out a sigh of relief.

Then we heard a soft thump from our tree.

"Bay!" Cove yelled.

I willed a soft white flame on my palm. It painted a soft glow on each of my friends' worried faces. Cove was shaking Bay's shoulders. He was slumped onto the wall of the started to become translucent but his arms were still solid. Then to my alarm I tree, shivering. Primitive markings started glowing gold on his tanned skin. His eyes turned gold and to our alarm he was starting to become translucent.

Sky looked devastated. She patted Ty's shoulder and pointed up. Both of them shot up into the higher portion of the hollowed tree. It seemed like there were peeping holes. The two of them looked out with grim expressions. Sky put her hands over her mouth in shock while Ty comforted her.

"Let him lie down." Ty ordered. Cane joined Ty and Sky up above and watched the chaos outside.

Bay was still shaking as Cove and I moved him to the center of the tree's base. His arms curled up and went stiff. We then noticed he was holding the watch his father gave him. It was glowing gold too, spewing out sand. Cove snatched it from his hand and then everything stopped.

Bay gasped for air, reaching above him. He sat up and breathed heavily.

"What happened?" Cove asked.

"I... I traveled-" he inhaled, "this place is going to be destroyed" he said losing foucs.

"What are you saying? How do you know that?" I asked him but he was already out cold. Cypress came over and put her hand over his head. Her eyes widened.

"He's been traveling through time, he couldn't completely do it because he was holding the watch. It held him but, based on what he saw, we need to get out of here fast. The Nimbus know we're here and they are going to attack this place and bring it down unless we give Cane back to them."

"Sky, I have a plan." I heard Ty tell Sky.

The three of them came back down.

"I have to give myself in. This is all happening because of me. I don't want to drag anyone else into this." Cane said with his head down.

"No you can't! Father's just overreacting!" Ty scolded Cane. He turned to Sky, "Sky, we're gonna beat them to it. We have to make them think that you hate us so they won't suspect you were helping us. We need to make a commotion so we can all escape from here. We are going to need your help. Please..."

Sky looked at Cane with her brows furrowed. He wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Please..." Ty pleaded again.