Return to Now, Book 2: the Amphibian Portal

Jack, Tija'l, and Orange continue their quest for the portal that will transport them to the Now. But guardians galore await. The servants of Obsidia'nar, the korvidae, have amassed an army of enslaved crows, and they guard the entrance with maniacal zeal. It is only through craftiness, desperation, and a bit of accidental ancestral magic that our trio of our adventurers is able to open the portal and escape into the Now. But traps and temptations await in the space between worlds. And even if they make it to the Now, they don't know where they will emerge or how they will confront an enemy whose growing power seems insurmountable. The answer may lie in a magical gift from a decidedly strange stranger with dark secrets and a connection to the ancient prophecy. Book 2: The Amphibian Portal wherein in chronicled: Jack and his companions' treacherous journey to the portal and its relentless guardians; the temptation of the Dance at the Center of the World; the revelation of Obsidia'nar's mistress, the air elemental Xethecix; the boys' emergence in the Now and their growing friendship; their encounter with Sal and his recounting of the legend of the infant prince; Jack's experience with the fire dragon and his solving of the puzzle; the birth of the third generation of the terrifying quetzals; Jack's struggle with the orb of empathy; and his initial connection with Nuala, warrior of the manta clan.