“Do you want to finally tell these people—your new friends from the forest—who you really are?” Olivina asks.

Tara’s eyes blink rapidly as she looks from Olivina to us and back again. She is holding a chair next to her for dear life.

“Tara?” Raina questions. “Remember what we said: we’ll never leave you.”

Olivina laughs. “Such lies! They already left you once tonight—when they let you run off into the castle. Devin doesn’t think much of you, as you know. Do you really think she’ll have your back? Or will she leave you behind again?”

“The headmistress is right about one thing,” I try, stalling for time so I can find the jewel. “I’m not a fan of Tara’s. She’s a liar.” Tara winces. I slide to the left and glance at the broken vase and flowers lying in water on the floor. No jewel. “Just be honest with us, for the first time since we met. You never went to Royal Academy, did you?”

“Oh my gnomes, you can’t be serious!” Sasha moans.

“I saw her wand,” I tell the others. “It has Olivina’s mark on it.”

“But…” Sasha says. “Snow knew her! And the notes…”

I cut her off before she says too much. “She lied to all of us about who she really is.” Olivina looks tickled pink watching us work this out.

“But she saved us in the woods.” Logan looks confused. “Didn’t she?”

Tara looks away again, but I notice her hands gripping the chair so hard they’re turning purple.

“Don’t be fooled,” I tell them. “Tara showed up to make us disappear, not help us. But then we were caught by that firebird, and the others felt bad for us so she had to bring us back to the tree house. She never really wanted to help us. Did you, Tara?”

“Yes, tell them, Tara,” Olivina adds, waving her wand gaily. “Tell them why you didn’t want them knowing who you really are. Why you tried to dissuade Corden and Prue from hiding out with you in the first place? Why you went off the grid and stayed away for so long? I’ll admit, I didn’t think you had the gumption to live in the woods like that for so long, but you did. You’ve impressed me, child. And now you’re back. You might as well tell them why.”

I notice something moving near Raina’s skirt and blink twice to be sure. I think it’s Lily!

“Tara?” Logan tries. “What is she talking about?”

“Olivina knows who I really am.” Tara chokes as if the words hurt her. “It’s not safe to be near me. I tried to get you guys to go away, but you kept acting like you could actually change how things work. Don’t you know by now you can’t?” Her eyes are pained. “There is no winning with the fairy godmother.”

Olivina looks at her fingernails. “Don’t be so formal, Tara. Call me Grandmother.” Raina inhales sharply.

“Grandmother?” I repeat.