“We can’t just leave them out here,” says Corden. “They won’t survive.”

“We were doing fine on our own before you grabbed us.” I look to my friends for backup.

Logan shakes his head. “Not really.”

“Not even a little bit,” Sasha agrees.

“I don’t care. They can’t stay,” Tara says again. “They’ll draw too much attention. She’s never banished this many students at once before. We were all banished separately.” Her face darkens. “This situation has trouble written all over it.”

“Plus, there is the firebird feather.” Logan holds it up. “That’s another bad omen.”

“Whose side are you on?” Heath asks. “Look, we don’t want to move in to your…camp or whatever it is you have out here.”

“Yeah!” I second. Who needs this Tara and her bossy ways? We can figure this out without her.

“We’re just tired. Dirty. Hungry.” Heath gives his famous heart-melting smile. “If we could make camp with you for one night, we’d be on our way tomorrow.” The girl with shimmer starts to giggle.

“It’s one night, Tara. Let them stay,” she says.

“Do you have a pop-up castle? Or maybe a luxury tent? I’d be fine with either,” Raina says.

Shimmer girl opens her mouth. “It’s…”

Tara clears her throat. She looks at her and Corden. “Fine. They can stay for one night, Prue. Then they’re on their own.”

“Thank you!” Raina starts walking. “I am desperate for a wash, and I’d love some moisturizer. I don’t suspect you have those all the way out here, do you?”

Corden grins. “Of course I do. Skin gets too dry out here without it. I make my own, actually.”

Raina loops her arm through his. “Will you share some?” Sasha, Logan, and Heath follow them.

“So where are we heading, anyway?” I grumble to Tara. “You didn’t actually say.”

She barely looks at me. “You’ll see when we get there.”

Ogre’s breath, she’s secretive! Now I’m dragging my heavy, dirty skirt through the mud, wishing I was wearing pants, while her and her non-mouse buddies carve a path through some heavy brush for us.

Humph! A flicker of movement on a nearby tree, and my heart flutters when I see it’s Lily. I haven’t seen her since the firebird attack. Smart little bearded dragon. I knew she’d find us again! I scoop her up and slip her into my skirt pocket.

Sasha appears at my side and whispers in my right ear. “It’s her, isn’t it?” She doesn’t wait for my response. “It has to be!”

“Who is her?” I ask, glaring at Tara as she walks ahead of me.

“Tara! She’s the princess who was banished before us,” Sasha says excitedly, as if this should be obvious. “Think about it: How many Taras in the kingdom do you know? She looks around our age—probably a year older—and she’s hiding out in the forest with two friends who are equally worked up about Olivina. It’s her!”

I’m too flabbergasted to respond. This girl is the Tara? The one who was on to Olivina before we even arrived? Naah…