Hennessee House stuck out like a Victorian sore thumb trapped in suburbia. It was three stories including the attic, painted dark brown with cream trim, and had a startling number of windows and a short but wide set of stairs that led up to the front door. Most of the cul-de-sac sidewalk framed the expansive front gate, which blocked the entrance to the half-circle driveway. Up close it loomed much larger than Lucky thought it should. She’d known it was the biggest house on the block by far, but taking in its perfectly green grass, expertly trimmed hedges, and blooming red rose bushes felt strangely intimidating. A quickening in the pit of her stomach warned her to leave while simultaneously daring her to enter. “Relax.” She made the command through gritted teeth, hands white-knuckling the steering wheel for dear life. Her sense of self- preservation was too damn strong. More than once she’d ended up fist-fighting it in abandoned mines and the like. Ignoring her gut often came at her own peril. But Hennessee House would be worth the risk. Eventually. The truth was Lucky didn’t get into her graduate school of choice. Twice. It was small, exclusive, and the…