“We’ve always gotten along,” I clarified, not taking my eyes from Latia.

“It’s easy to get along with someone when they have to do everything you say,” Latia spat.

“Now’s not the time,” Cion said, holding her back.

“Then when is?” She turned on him. “She doesn’t get to escape without paying for what she did.”

“For what I did?” I demanded. “What did I ever do to you?”

Her body stilled in Cion’s arms. Her eyes narrowed. “You took my mother from me.”

“The sun must have addled your brain,” I said. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. You said scorpions killed your parents.”

“That was a lie to cover up what your family did to mine. Your father gave the order . . .”

I charged toward her. “My father did a lot of things I don’t approve of, like kill my mother. So if it’s him you want to go after, you’ll have to get in line. Don’t blame me.”

“As if you didn’t blame the Desert Boys for years and sit by while they died in the arena?” She lunged toward me, but Cion easily held her back.

“Kateri isn’t the enemy,” he spoke softly into her ear. “Not anymore.”

Latia stopped fighting him, but she didn’t stop glaring.

After a few moments, he released her, and she stood with her arms crossed.

“And we won’t be able to stop the king and Rodric unless we all work together,” he said. “Why don’t you tell Kateri what we know about the controls so far?” He raised his eyebrows at her, waiting for her to speak.

Latia flipped her braid over her shoulder. With one last sigh, she said, “I’ve searched nearly the entire palace, and I can’t find them.” She glared at me in accusation, as if I had been the one to hide them somewhere.

I shook my head. “I don’t know where they are.” When Cion had suggested the water controls existed, I’d tried to think of where my father could hide something like that. But I’d come up empty.

She shot me a look laced with more poison than a scorpion sting. “Are you sure?”

“I didn’t know my father controlled the water levels until a few days ago,” I said, “so I have no idea where he’d control them from.”

Latia rolled her eyes.

I closed my eyes, trying to think. Once my mother was gone, I hadn’t spent much time exploring the palace. I’d been too busy training.

I opened my eyes and shook my head. “I don’t know where it could be.”

“She’s as useless out here as she is in the palace,” Latia said. “I’m better off searching more on my own.”

“Once I beat Rodric,” I supplied, “I’ll find the controls and destroy them.”

“We don’t have time for that,” Latia snapped. “Rodric’s going to cut off all access to the wells until you’re returned. Your father warned things would get worse, and now they have,” she said, her eyes burning like flames.