“I wouldn’t start celebrating yet.” Tara picks up the charred remains of a scroll. “Our blog post was canceled.

“That’s impossible!” Sasha cries.”

Prue taps the small mirror in her hand and frowns. “She’s right. The post is down. Look.”

We gather around. The post is not on the day’s feed as it should be.

“It looks like it was only up for maybe thirty minutes at most.” Prue holds her head. “What a waste.”

“Guys,” I hear Raina say.

“No one even saw it!” says Tara, getting upset. “We risked being captured, exposing the tree house and our anonymity, and for what? Olivina still wins!” She looks at me. “I told you this would happen! She’s too powerful. Maybe the best thing we can do is stay in the shadows so none of us get hurt. She can’t be stopped.”

“But she needs to be,” I press.

“Not if it means we lose the ones we love,” Tara counters.

“Guys, look!” Raina speaks up. She uses her shoe to point to one of the mirrors at Royal Academy. Olivina is in her office, and she’s talking to a group of very upset people.

“It’s our parents,” I realize. We crowd around the mirror.

My father is in his royal infantry uniform, his gold sash adorned with too many medals to count. He’s standing next to my tearful mother, who keeps sneaking glances at Snow (who practically raised Heath and Raina, from what I’ve heard). There’s also another couple who must be Sasha’s parents. She looks exactly like her father.

“Can someone turn the mirror up?” Tara asks.

“…has gone too far!” I hear my father thunder. “First you banish our children without any word, and now we find out they’re being hunted? How do you explain this?”

“Commander Nile, there is no need to get upset,” Olivina says with a pleasant smile. “Your children are perfectly safe. I know exactly where they are.”

The hair on the back of my neck stands up.

“You do?” Sasha’s mother dabs at her eyes with a paisley-print handkerchief that matches her gown.

“Of course! I would never abandon any of our young royals, even when they do something that deserves punishment. Once they’ve repented for their behavior, they are welcome back at Royal Academy.”

“So the banishment isn’t a true banishment?” Snow asks. “Because according to this article Sasha published in Happily Ever After Scrolls—”

“I thought that post was taken down,” Olivina says to Hazel quickly.

“It was,” Hazel says, looking fearful. “It was only up for thirty minutes.”

“Well, I read it,” Snow tells them, “and, according to Sasha, they aren’t the first group to be banished. Does that mean you’ve located the others, including Tara?”

I notice Tara’s face harden.

“Tara’s family knows I know what’s best for her.”

But I thought Tara had no family?

“She can’t be a fine ruler unless she learns how to follow the rules, now can she? Just like Sasha.” Olivina tsks. “Airing our royal dirty laundry like that is a no-no. Very hurtful.”