ADRIAN

I burst into the throne room, heart hammering so hard I swear the floor might feel it. My eyes lock on her first, Iris, in the center of the room, limbs trembling, bruised, her eyes wide and wary.

“Iris! Get away from them!” I shout, running toward her. “Are you okay?”

She doesn’t answer. She just blinks at me, eyes flicking between me and the figures surrounding her. And then I see it: the faint glint of fear, the way she’s bracing herself. My stomach twists.

And then my own reflection hits me. Blood. Still smeared across my arms, chest, face. My fight with Zeus hasn’t given me time...