Hadrian's heart pounded as Leroy pinned him down with unnerving precision. His elbows dug into Hadrian's chest, the blade hovering just above his jugular, poised to drink the pulse that throbbed wildly beneath his skin.
"Leroy?" he gasped.
The man above him smiled.
No, not the smile Hadrian knew. This one was cold, sharp, and unrecognizable in its malice. Candlelight danced over Leroy's face, catching the sharpness of his cheekbones, the glint in his eyes.
"Leroy's in his study," he murmured with a mock tilt of his head. "Are you hallucinating, Hadrian?"
The name dripped from his mouth like venom.
Hadrian swallowed hard.
This couldn't be the same boy who used to lower his gaze in his presence, the same one who used to politely smile and bow and take every insult like a dog licking boots.
This man was something else. This man had claws.
