“And the costumes disappear seconds after taking them off, so there’s no evidence,” Prue adds. “It’s Corden’s most amazing trick.”

“A better trick would be getting you to let me give you a makeover.” His pale-blue eyes widen. “I am dying to try some of these face elixirs and lip stains I’ve made on someone, but both Prue and Tara are anti-frills. I am in desperate need of a muse.”

Raina grabs Corden’s arm’s tighter. “Search no further; I’ll be your muse. The minute we get to the… Where are we going anyway?” I hear a rumble of thunder in the distance.

Tara slashes again, and the brush falls to the side, revealing a clearing. “Here we are! Home, sweet home! Let’s get you inside. Quickly.”

Logan blinks. “There’s nothing here.”

“Think again,” Corden says with glee. “Prue here is a master at the protection skill.” He motions to the girl with the shimmery pale skin.

“We’re a clever lot,” Tara boasts. “It’s how we’ve survived in the forest this long without falling down a shaft or being thrown over the falls.”

I bite my tongue.

“Watch.” Corden picks up a small rock and throws it into the air. The air shimmers and, for a brief second, I see the outline of a tree where there was only grass a moment before.

“I saw something!” Raina says excitedly. “Was that a house on stilts?”

“It’s a tree house,” Corden explains. “It’s completely invisible to the naked eye. Or the magical one.”

“Magical?” Logan questions.

“Enchantasia didn’t want us, so why should it get to know where we’re hiding out? Tara asks. “We take every precaution to protect ourselves out here in our woods. So when your lot in your coronation ball getups and less-than-sensible shoes showed up on our radar, we thought you might be here on Olivina’s orders. We had to get you off our scent.”

“We wouldn’t have really thrown you over the falls,” Prue insists. “We were just hoping to scare you off. And then the firebird showed up.”

“Oh, you scared us all right,” Logan says as raindrops begin to fall. “So did the firebird.” A clap of thunder makes everyone jump.

“Enough dawdling.” Tara walks to the center of the clearing and mumbles a few words while sprinkling something from a sack. A moment later, a tree house appears high in an oak tree.

It’s nothing like the kind of tree house I begged Father to make me when I was younger. This one looks like a pirate ship. There are chutes and ladders connecting each level, a crow’s nest, and a smokestack and large antennae at the top. The tree house is painted a green color that camouflages it against the trees, and it’s so high off the ground that you’d never notice it unless you looked up.

Prue passes out small satchels. “This is Mirage Mix. It’s the only way you can get up in the tree house—with the password, of course.” She looks at us. “Tara’s already said it, so you’re good to go for the next sixty seconds till the tree house disappears again. Watch.” Prue runs into the clearing, throws the dust into the air, and disappears.