“Would you train me if I agreed to never restrict the water levels again?” I eyed him.

“Now it’s my turn to ask why I should believe you,” Cion stated.

“I could’ve killed you out there and didn’t.” I dangled the shackle as a reminder.

“Maybe you wanted to learn the way into our hideout.”

“I’m not stupid enough to come here by myself and think I could take all of you on.” Well, I had considered that plan, but he didn’t need to know. “I told you before. The only person I want to take down is Rodric, and I’d imagine the only person you hate more than me is the person capturing you, torturing you, and throwing your kind into the arena—Rodric. We have a common enemy. That’s your reason to trust me.”

“I still don’t trust you any more than I trust Rodric.”

I balled my hands into fists. Couldn’t he see that we both wanted the same thing?

“Rodric will kill you and your boys one by one.”

“And you won’t?” he retorted.

“I’ve fought against you for so long because I thought you were a plague draining the life from the people. My people. But I see now that you had your own reasons for stealing water.” Assuming he was telling the truth, he believed he was doing what he could to help others. But his raids continually forced my father to drop the water rations. Not to mention he was the leader of a group that had killed my mother. But we still had the same goal. “Train me, and we can both help the people. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”

Before Cion could reply, a low moan echoed through the cavern. I turned toward the sound expecting to find Bala or Tania, but instead I saw Hardesh.

I froze, my mouth going slack.

He had bandages wrapped around his face where I’d bashed his nose.

“We found him in the desert,” Cion said, following my gaze. “He’d been bitten by a yellow-spotted sand snake. We got to him just in time.”

I couldn’t force myself to move to Hardesh’s side. I doubted he’d want to see me, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away either. He hunched in the corner with his arms wrapped around his drawn-in knees. There was a brokenness to his demeanor, so unlike the man I’d faced in the arena. It was as though all the bones had been removed from his body, and he’d collapsed in on himself. Even his hair looked grayer than I remembered. Could he truly have suffered so much in a matter of hours?

I’d never really thought about what happened to my suitors after I’d beaten them. I knew they were exiled, and somewhere deep down I knew the desert would kill them. Finally having to face it made it real. And I could see what made me a monster in the eyes of the Desert Boys.

“Did you save all of my opponents?”