House of Cards by W. J. May, Book Cover By Design, Chelsa Jillard

“Hey Riley? Does ten tomorrow morning work?” She figured she shouldn’t say anything else and hoped Nic and Molly wouldn’t start asking questions.
    Thankfully they didn’t. Riley looked at her through his rearview mirror. “Sure.” Then he turned to Nic and asked how classes in the Oratory were going with Carter as the new teacher.
    Rae replied to Jennifer with an ‘ok’ and skipped on to the next message. It was from a number she didn’t recognize.
    Hi, Rae! So glad you kept my number.
    She realized it was from Luke and continued to read.
    A couple of friends and I are going to the Twisted Cork in town to hang out tomorrow night. It’s a bar/club that has a dance floor n stuff. Do you and any gal-pals want to meet there? LUKE
    If she didn’t know what to do with Jennifer’s text, she had absolutely no idea what to say to Luke. Maybe Molly... She tapped her friend on the shoulder and held the phone up so Molly could see the message.
    Molly squealed and pounded her feet against the floor. “I told you he would reply!”
    “Who? What?” Riley asked.
    “No one.” Rae tried to grab the phone out of Molly’s hand, but she kept it out of reach.
    Molly gave her the phone back and grinned. “It’s a guy who likes Rae.”
    “Is he tatùed?”
    “Riley!” Molly hit the back of his headrest. “Of course not! Do you not know Rae?”
    “I guess not.” Riley glanced at Rae from the corner of his eye.
    Rae ignored him and leaned toward Molly. She whispered, “I was just going to ask you what I should say.”
    “Tell him we’ll go. I want to meet him.”
    Rae cringed. Why did Molly not have a quiet button? “I can’t tomorrow ,” she said firmly, hoping Molly wouldn’t ask why.
    Riley pulled into Guilder’s drive. Rae went to put her phone away. Her thumb swiped across the screen and it flashed on. She still had two unread messages. She checked who they were; Julian and Jennifer again.
    Riley parked the car and everyone got out. Molly and Rae led the way with the boys carrying the food just behind them. Nic and Riley were having some silly argument about a football match. As they walked toward Joist Hall passing Aumbry House, Rae’s tatù switched. Her hearing and sight sharpened. The others were oblivious, even Riley.
    She quickened her walk ever so slightly so she was half a step ahead of Molly. Her heart quickened its rhythm as her eyes darted everywhere. She noticed the shadow in the gardens and bushes just past Aumbry House. She pretended to turn her head to ask the boys a question, her eyes on the spot where she’d seen the person hiding. They rounded the corner and the image disappeared from her vision.
    When they crossed the road to Joist Hall, Rae slapped her forehead. “You guys go on up, I’ll be there in a moment. I just have to make a call from my dorm room.”
    Molly elbowed her playfully and winked at Nic and Riley. “Might as well give her fish and chips to her. Chances are she won’t be back for a bit.”
    Luckily Nic didn’t argue and handed her a brown paper bag. She darted back to the sidewalk and the way they had just come and when the others disappeared into Joist Hall, Rae used the leopard tatù to move fast. She ran around the small building beside Aumbry House and along the grass to where the person had been hiding.
    No one was going to hurt her friends. Not on her watch.
    The person stood hiding in the same spot as she approached, but she couldn’t make out who it was because of the dark sky and thick bushes hiding their face. Plus their back was to her. She raised her arm, switching to Molly’s tatù, ready to throw something electric at them the moment they moved. The person finally turned around when she was a few feet away from them.
    She froze when she recognized who it was. Her hand hung midair poised to throw, while the other dropped her food into the garden.

Chapter 10
    Ground Control
     
    Devon.
    One part of her wanted to throw the ball of electricity, the