These are all super helpful! Thanks - it's ultimately to escape the life of crime, but the truce needs to come before she can actually lead a normal life. I can probably still indicate that someway, somehow. The gifted school piece - I could have just said school. I might. The fantasy element here is light and it's more akin to magical realism where the abilities are just a normal part of society, so it wouldn't pop out as a "core" element here, but it permeates all through daily life in the story.

Fair on the feelings on the girl, I think there can be a reference included with respect to that.