When Hades stepped fully into the center, nobody moved. Then everything exploded. A warrior charged him. Hades barely looked at him, he caught the warrior's wrist, twisted, and sent him crashing into the stone floor.
Another came from the side, Hades turned. His fist connected with the man's jaw. The warrior flew backward. A third attacked from behind and Hades ducked. His elbow struck the man's ribs.
The crowd erupted.
I stumbled backward, still chained to the altar, watching the man I'd been praying would come for me tear through the Royal guards as though they were nothing but there were too many. Far too many.
"Hades!" He looked at me just for a second. That was all it took. A warrior lunged toward him. Hades turned at the last moment and blocked the blade.
The sound of steel against steel rang through the clearing.
"Iris!" he shouted.
