The weeks passed and the weather became more inclement. The sea began to surge around the island, the waves crashing against the cliffs and the rocks without mercy. The skies often remained blue during the day but often at night heavy rains fell, sometimes carrying into the next day. During these storms the winds would howl through the corridors, rattling the single-paned windows and spreading a damp chill throughout the school. The air remained mild, but the dampness seemed to seep everywhere during the rainy season, making it seem cooler than it was. Even though the rains had begun and the winds had picked up, Charlotte knew it was only the beginning, a taster of what the coming winter months would have in store.

The patrons had vanished from the island one night, their departure a relief to many of the students, especially Charlotte. They would be back she knew, and soon, but until then she found she could relax, if only slightly. They would return and disappear once more before the true violence of the winter storms settled on Kingston.

Charlotte's team had committed to training with as much dedication as she had hoped for. Nobody complained of interference from Elmhirst or Bennett as of yet, which gave Charlotte hope and Ethan Jansen was proving to be just as valuable as she had expected.

As training came to a halt one evening, Charlotte turned to him and smiled. "Well?"

"Well, I think you were right in picking who you did," he nodded. "I really can't see how anybody expects to beat us this year".

"Good," she grinned.

"Although, we would be better if you would use your alteration," he smiled.

Charlotte tensed, shaking her head. "I told you..."

"Did you talk to Alexander? He could help".

"James hasn't spoken to me in weeks," she said in a curt tone, trying to forget about James' returned brooding mood.

"I can talk to him... about talking to you. Listen Charlotte, we could really use you," he grinned, trying to encourage her.

"Ethan, you need to stop getting your hopes up. Even if James helped it would be of little use. Either Elmhirst would interfere or my alteration would get the better of him before I had it under control".

"Hey, it looks like we have company?" Eli interrupted, pointing up towards the path. It was hard to see in the evening rain, but on the path there was the outline of a figure.

"It looks like Bennett?" Daiki sighed, moving beside Eli. Eli dwarfed him, though he dwarfed most people. Daiki was a small boy, with pale, sallow skin. His eyes were dark and sharp, his small mouth pinched into a permanent seriousness. He wore his black hair spiked upon his head, carefully orchestrated to appear messy at all times. Charlotte wondered how, even in this downpour, it managed to stay up. Daiki was powerful despite his physical lack of intimidation. He was quick and strong, but his greatest alteration was his power to defy gravity. He could resist the gravitational pull himself, or command any person or object to do the same, essentially giving him the power of flight.

"Of course it is," Charlotte sighed heavily, shaking her head. "It's been a wonder he has left us alone for so long".

"I'll give him something to worry about," Maria grinned, lifting her hands gently. The others watched her warily, and as she dropped them at least twenty forks of lightning fell from the heavy clouds, illuminating the sky in a bright purple light. The noise of the ensuing thunder was deafening.

"God Rodriguez, that's a neat trick," Eli snapped. "You'll be lucky if you're not sent below for that".

"It's a storm, Miller. How do they know I caused the lightning," she exhaled sarcastically, looking at Eli impatiently.

"Because, it was purple lightning, Maria," Ethan sighed. "The same colour as that electric halo in your eyes".

"You noticed that did you?" Maria grinned at him dangerously.

Ethan smiled gently before turning back to look at Bennett, but he had seemingly vanished. "Well, it took care of our spy," he breathed.

"For now," Charlotte muttered uneasily. "This won't be the end of it, though. It's only the beginning".

"On the upside, that would be a great way to startle the enemy in the arena," Ethan suggested. Charlotte tore her attention away from where Bennett had stood and looked from Ethan's gentle gaze to Maria's unnatural eyes.

"It would be fantastic," she nodded. "It could give us time to position ourselves if they are too busy watching the sky". Maria seemed happy with Charlotte's encouragement and grinned brightly, dancing about and singing about her own greatness.

"And Bennett?" Daiki asked. Everybody quietened looking at Charlotte for a moment.

"He will come to each of you in turn, question you, I would think," Ethan offered, after Charlotte remained silent for too long. Charlotte snorted, a disbelieving laugh escaping through her lips unwanted.

"Sorry," she smiled shaking her head. "Yeah he will question you. Hopefully that will be all... Bennett is a bit fond of encouraging confession though," she laughed. "But on the plus side Alexander destroyed his baton that last time he tried to use it, so he won't be able to hit you with it". The others were quiet for a moment as if processing her words.

"Ah I wish I had Alexander's guts," Daiki finally muttered. "I have never been able to stand up to Bennett. I like to give him a little push sometimes," he shrugged. Daiki Muto lifted his hands and Carrick Jones lifted off the ground, his fierce expression faltering as he lost his sense of gravity, waving his arms as if trying to propel himself safely back down to ground.

"Oi, put me down," he growled and Daiki obliged with a wry smile.

"He always figures out it was me though," he whispered. Charlotte gazed at Muto for a moment. She hadn't really known him before. She had never spoken that much to him and it surprised her to see that he was willing to mess with Bennett so obviously.

"You ever been to detention?" Mary sniffed, pushing her sopping red hair back from her face.

"Four times," he nodded, grinning proudly. "The longest I was kept was thirty-six hours".

"Thirty-six hours?" Jun breathed her eyes wide and fearful.

"That's nothing! One time they healed me and brought me straight back into detention," Maria said, her tone boastful as if it was something to be proud of. "I had to be taken to the hospital to be healed four times during that session before they would let me out".

"How about you Jun? Have you ever seen the inside of the detention halls?" Ethan asked, folding his arms. Jun shook her head quickly, her dark hair stuck to her forehead.

"Either have I," Ethan sighed. "And I hope I make it out without a visit too".

"I've been twice," said Mary, grinning proudly her pale pink skin, ghostly in the strange half-light and the rain. She glanced at them mischievously, her blue eyes dancing brightly. She was one of the few people in the school who had red hair, thick and curly when dry, though now it was a dripping mess. Her pink skin was dotted with orange-brown freckles, thickly covering her face and arms. "Once it was because I wouldn't eat my food - though I was young then. I think whoever sent me was in a bad mood that day".

"They are always in a bad mood," Charlotte said grimly. They wore their punishments as badges of pride. She hadn't known that they had been punished at all, but she had never taken pride in her punishment, even if she did like to aggravate Bennett. Yet, usually by the time she would start to aggravate him or talk back, it was likely already too late for her anyway.

"So Miss Head-girl, how many times have you been punished?" Maria asked, turning her purple eyes on Charlotte once more.

"More times than I can count," Charlotte mumbled irritably.

"Yeah, it can't have been that much," Maria said rolling her eyes and folding her arms. "I mean Elmhirst made you head girl".

"Just so he can keep a better eye on me - I promise," she replied.

"Nah, I don't believe that for a second," Maria laughed dryly. Mary, Ebiere and Freya joined in too.

"When was the last time you were in?" Ebiere Kano interrupted, looking at her doubtfully.

Charlotte frowned at her and then laughed coldly. She had thought everybody knew what a mess-up she was and yet they seemed oblivious of her track record. James seemed to have paid close attention to it. "The night after the captain's game," she said, gazing at them.

Ebiere gazed at her open-mouthed revealing perfect rows of white teeth, startling against her dark skin. She kept her coarse hair cropped short against her head, revealing her angular face and strong jaw. Ebiere was almost six foot tall, with rippling muscles and long, hard limbs. She was as fearsome as Carrick or Eli and just as strong. Her black eyes glinted at Charlotte as she observed her, the whites of her eyes as bright as her teeth. Ebiere was of great value to Charlotte too, as she offered the team more than just strength; she offered her voice in the games, an enchanting voice that would entrance their opponents, rendering them useless in attack.

"After you won the captain's game? Why would he send you then? What did you do?" Maria asked excitedly. Everybody was watching her expectantly. Even Ethan watched her with a somewhat guarded expression. Something about his blue eyes seemed to tell her he already knew.

"I won the games," she shrugged, her words faltering ever so slightly as she realised how ridiculous they sounded.

"He punished you because you won?" Eli asked, folding his monstrous arms across his bulging chest. Carrick Jones and Ethan glanced at each other and Charlotte wondered for a moment just how much James had told them.

"Yeah, I'm special that way. I can do everything right and still be wrong," she smiled tightly, still watching Jansen and Jones carefully.

"I don't understand," Maria said plainly, shaking her head. "Why were you punished?"

"She was punished because Elmhirst likes to see her punished," Ethan said slowly, as if wanting an end to the conversation. "Elmhirst is paranoid. Bennett is sadistic. Neither of them like her".

"Thanks for the confidence boost," Charlotte laughed, before shaking her head, "but yeah that's it really".

"I don't believe you. How long were you in for?" Daiki pressed.

"I'm not sure - about twelve hours," she replied.

"Did you have to go to the hospital?"

"Cracked skull, torn finger nails, broken nose," she shrugged, listing out her injuries, but trying not to think too much about them. Carrick glanced at Ethan, who shook his head ever so slightly. Charlotte narrowed her eyes at them, wondering what they were up to.

"That's not true - it can't be," Maria decided, flicking her wet hair back over her shoulder. "You are head girl. I mean only the favourites get that job".

"Or is it the most treacherous?" Ethan grinned dangerously.

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "I don't really care if you believe me or not, but I will not be mistaken for one of his favourites," she muttered, offering her hand to Jun Lin, who stared at it guardedly. Everybody fell silent, staring at Charlotte's exposed arm, as Jun hesitantly reached forward clasping her about the wrist and closing her dark eyes. It happened almost immediately. A high-pitched squeak escaped through Jun's lips and she released Charlotte's hand as if it was a thing causing her pain.

"Well, what secrets did miss perfect have for us?" Maria asked, ignoring Jun's shaken expression.

"She's telling the truth," she said slowly. "About all of it". Jun paused as everybody looked from her wide frightened eyes, to Charlotte. "If that's what detention is like I never want to end up there," she whispered, her voice more like that of a child, than a senior student.

"Are you serious? He punished you because you won? That's messed up," Maria said, suddenly looking outraged. Charlotte shrugged. She had pushed it to the back of her mind. She knew that it wouldn't have mattered whether she had won or lost. Elmhirst would have constructed some reason to send her below. He always did.

"Look don't worry about it. If he wants to punish me he always has some excuse," she muttered. Ethan looked at her almost as if he pitied her, his electric blue eyes watching her carefully. "That's why I expect they will speak to each of you about this, about what we are doing".

"What should we say?" Freya asked. She was a tall, thin blonde girl with pale blue, almond-shaped eyes. Freya's hair was expertly plaited around her head, falling over her shoulder. She had a stern expression most of the time, but when she laughed her face transformed, appearing friendly and warm. Charlotte had worked with her before and knew her to be sensible. She liked Freya for the most part, but coming up against her alteration was always difficult. It was Charlotte's main reason for choosing her. If she was on her team she wouldn't have to fight her herself. Freya was able to shapeshift. She could take on the appearance of anybody and even split her body in two, creating two of her, though one was only an empty shell, guided by remnant memories of movement. It was confusing if you had to choose which one to attack, because the other would move as if human. Or if she appeared as a teammate or somebody you thought you could trust, you lowered your guard around her.

"Tell the truth," Charlotte said. "We have only been training. We are not doing anything wrong".

"But you did nothing wrong winning the games," Mary pointed out.

"If he wants to punish somebody it will be me," Charlotte sighed, knowing her words were true. "Elmhirst just likes to know what I am doing. He will question you that is all".

"Charlotte's right," Ethan interjected. "Elmhirst thinks she is trying to turn you all against him. He will just be looking for evidence against her, so don't say anything stupid".

"He thinks what?" Charlotte frowned.

"Didn't Alexander tell you what he said to him the day you were taken to detention?" Ethan asked.

"He said that Elmhirst thought I had got into his head, but he didn't say anymore - anyway I told you..." she glanced at the others a little warily. "... He hasn't spoken to me since then".

"Look, we will be fine," Ethan said shaking his head. "Don't say anything stupid and don't bow beneath Bennett's pressure. This is just a game and we just have to play the part". Charlotte glanced at him, knowing that was the same phrase James had used. She wondered how much Ethan, and Carrick for that matter, knew about her dysfunctional relationship with Alexander.

"Go back to the academy. Get dry. Eat dinner. Forget about Bennett and detention. Forget about Elmhirst. Focus on the games," she said, dismissing them. They nodded slowly, leaving as one large group. Ethan hung back behind the others, a habit Charlotte had grown accustomed to. He had really become her deputy captain, which she was glad of. She found she needed his support. He seemed to understand more than the others saw.

"What do you think?" Charlotte asked him as they began the path back to the academy. The ground squelched beneath their feet as the rain continued to fall in sheets, hammering the ground in a constant din.

"I think... that Maria has caused more hassle than was needed with the lightning," he sighed.

"We're in trouble, aren't we?" she breathed.

"More than we know," he nodded, grimly.

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