A WELL-KEPT SECRET. For Tess Kendrick, a junior at the elite Hardwicke School, fixing runs in the family. However, Tess has another legacy, too, one that involves power and the making of political dynasties. AN IMPOSSIBLE CHALLENGE. When Tess is asked to run a classmate's campaign for student council, she agrees. But at a prestigious school like Hardwicke, even a class election can involve life-shattering secrets. POWER IS CURRENCY. Meanwhile, Tess's guardian has also taken on an impossible case, as a terrorist attack calls into doubt who can - and cannot - be trusted right at the heart of the capital. Tess knows better than most that power is currency in Washington, but she's about to discover first-hand that power always comes at a price.