At seven o'clock, Charlotte stands at the edge of the pool room in a borrowed swimsuit, watching the others already in the water.

  The pool is beautiful—large and gleaming, with underwater lights that make the water glow blue. Aki does handstands in the shallow end. Broc swims laps. Bainto jumps off the side, making huge splashes.

  They all look so happy. So normal.

  Charlotte wraps her arms around herself. She doesn't belong here.

  "You coming in?" Broc has stopped swimming and treads water near the edge.

  "I don't know."

  "Scared you'll shock us?" His tone isn't mean, just honest.

  Charlotte nods.

  "Water conducts electricity. So yeah, that could be bad. But Mama put protections on the pool. If your magic discharges, it'll ground into the tiles instead of into us."

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  "Really?"

  "Really. She's been planning this all week." Broc smiles slightly. "She's trying to help you, you know. In her own way."

  Charlotte looks at the water. At Aki, who watches her now with an unreadable expression.

  She can stay on the edge, safe and alone. Or she can try.

  Charlotte takes a breath and jumps in.

  The water closes over her head, cool and clean. She surfaces, gasping, and finds Broc grinning at her.

  "See? No explosions."

  Despite everything, Charlotte's lips twitch. Almost a smile.

  "Hey." Aki has swum over, keeping a careful distance. Her arm is still bandaged. "Want to play a game?"

  Charlotte's heart hammers. "What kind of game?"

  "Marco Polo. You know it?"

  "Yeah."

  "Okay. Bainto's it first because he's the youngest." Aki's voice is cautious, not quite friendly but not hostile either. "You in?"

  It isn't forgiveness. Not yet. But it's a start.

  "I'm in."

  They play for an hour. Charlotte is terrible at Marco Polo—she keeps swimming into walls—but nobody seems to care. Bainto cheats constantly, peeking through his fingers. Broc lets himself get caught on purpose so Bainto will feel successful. And Aki... Aki laughs when Charlotte crashes into the pool wall for the third time.

  It's the first time Charlotte has heard her laugh since the incident.

  When they finally get out, exhausted and pruney, Adelia waits with towels and hot chocolate.

  "Did you have fun?"

  Charlotte nods. Her chest feels lighter than it has in days. "Yeah. I did."