Binah, along with Anastacia and Saskia, were their only friends at Rosewood that knew Ellie was the real princess, meaning she was always careful with her choice of words.

What was more worrying was the look Lottie gave her, still focused on the pinafore that hung awkwardly over Ellie’s body, eyes flickering a mile a minute. Puzzle pieces were slotting together, making her apple-blossom lips set into a hard pout. But Lottie didn’t have time to question her as footsteps echoed towards them, like the sound of an angry giant.

‘I swear when I find out whose idea this was I’m going to –’

‘Arrêtes, Saskia!’

From the dark of the stairwell appeared Saskia and Anastacia, twenty-five minutes late and both holding their Rosewood Library reusable coffee cups.

Anastacia noticed Lottie glancing at the cup in her hand and scowled. ‘No, we are not late because we got coffee.’ She strode into the room in a cloud of perfume, her blow-dried mahogany hair flowing behind her.

‘We’re late because of this!’ Saskia gave a powerful kick with her left leg, and Ellie stared at the metal band fastened round her ankle.

Only Jamie reacted, sucking in a breath.

‘I’ve been leashed!’ Saskia screeched indignantly, slamming her foot down.

‘What is that?’ Raphael asked, shuddering like it was some ugly accessory she’d actually chosen to wear.

‘It’s a tracking band,’ Jamie said. ‘Some people request them from the Partizan council so they can track their Partizan in case they’re compromised, but most people consider it a violation of privacy.’

Ellie winced, unable to think of anything someone as carefree as Saskia would hate more, and she noticed how Lottie’s lips quivered, as if she was trying to hold something in.

‘Apparently one of the new school security found out about the little, um –’ Saskia coughed awkwardly, giving a sideways glance to Lottie – ‘kidnapping attempt when I was under Leviathan’s influence and requested that I only be allowed to attend classes again if they can track me and make sure I never leave the grounds.’

Anastacia put a comforting hand on her girlfriend’s shoulder, their Partizan and master bond melting away into something even more powerful. Then she sighed, pulling a mirror out of her bag to check her make-up, and her eyes flickered up to Lottie and Ellie for just a second, like they were being frisked. ‘It’s truly been the day from hell. I’ve got a detention tomorrow,’ she said, and everyone turned to her.