Chapter 19

The kids filed into the living room and squished together side by side on the couch. Chloe and Julie crossed their legs, settling into a comfortable position. Ryan leaned his elbows on his inner thighs and hunched forward, ready to listen.

“So, to start, I should introduce myself. I am Cecrops,” the creature said. “My ancestors are friends of the ancient gods, and we were sent here to guard Portalia. I happen to know that there is an unwelcome guest in this universe right now, and he is the one that you are after. He is the man who attacked families on planet Earth with the cursed potion that he created. It puts the drinkers into a trance that makes them appear frozen, and a force field appears, keeping all people away. Left untreated, the victims will die in 4 days,” Cecrops explained. He tucked a strand of his thick brown hair behind his ear.

“But that means…” Chloe said.

“They’re already