“We’re okay, Red,” Prue says. “But thanks for checking in on us.”

“Red?” I pipe up, rushing to the map. “Little Red Riding Hood?” Tara tries to shove me aside as the older girl removes her red hood, revealing her bright-red hair. She’s wearing her signature red cloak, the one they sell in the village in her shop, Red’s Ready-for-Anything Shoppe. “It’s me! Devin Nile!” I cry. “Professor Pierce sent me. He said to find you. We’re in trouble. We’ve—”

Tara cuts me off. “We found them in the forest. They’ve been banished, but this time feels different. We’re just holding them here till we can figure out what to do with them.”

I counter. “You tried to kidnap us!”

“By disguising yourself as mice,” Heath adds, coming into view. He waves to the map, and Red stares at us all curiously. “Hi, Red. Heath White here. Snow’s brother. We’ve never met, but you were once at the royal court for a self-defense seminar, and I really admired your position on taking a year off after school to find yourself.”

Tara shoves him aside. “Technically, we didn’t kidnap them.”

“They did too,” I insist. “I had to save her from a firebird.”

“A firebird that you called! I was fine,” Tara says.

“Firebird?” Red raises an eyebrow. “You guys tangoed with a firebird? That’s not a good sign.”

“I know.” Logan edges in closer to be seen. He holds up the red feather he’s had in his back pocket. “I keep trying to tell everyone we’re in danger.”

“You are in danger! All of you,” Red stresses. “The growing resistance to Olivina’s charms is putting her on edge. More students have been banished in the last two years than ever before. Before Pierce and me, no one had been ousted, but now—”

“You went to Royal Academy?” Raina cries. “And so did Professor Pierce? But he’s not royal!”

“He is. We both are. Or were. We were in Olivina’s second year of classes,” Red explains. “My grammy was twenty-fifth in line for the throne, but my love of adventure and self-defense put Olivina on edge. Back then, we thought she just had a really narrow idea of how a royal should act. She wasn’t banishing kids yet, but she knew when she didn’t have one hooked. We struck an agreement, and she let Pierce and me go. But we’ve always had to watch our step. Over the years, it’s become clear that she’s up to something more than just running Royal Academy. We’ve bided our time, watching her and waiting for the right moment to catch her in the act.”

“Act of what?” Logan asks.

“Being villainous, of course,” Red says. “She’s no ordinary fairy godmother. You all must know that. She runs this kingdom. She controls the royal court. She ensures her continued influence by molding all of you to do her bidding. And when you don’t…” Red shrugs. “Banishment. It’s easier to get rid of a few rotten apples than ruin a whole bushel. Get rid of you guys, and her secret stays secure. But she’s taken her frustrations out on too many. The number of kids that don’t abide by her Royal Academy rules is growing. We deserve a kingdom free from the threat of evil where those who dissent are not banished to the Hollow Woods. The group of us cheer in agreement.”