CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE
Oliver couldn’t tell what hurt more—the odd tugging sensations of passing through the portal, or the agony of leaving his parents behind. He felt their absence viscerally, like it was a solid thing.
As the portal tossed him to and fro, Oliver kept his mind on the Elixir. That had to be his focus now. Getting the Elixir back to Esther and saving her life.
After a long, terrifying journey, twisting and turning in the portal, Oliver felt himself suddenly propelled out the other end. He went flying, landing on the hard ground. His friends came flying after him.
Oliver’s first thought was the Elixir. He grabbed his satchel and looked inside. The glass jar was safe, its precious serum glowing inside.
“Where are we?” Oliver gasped, sitting up and looking around at the unf
