An Acquired Taste (The Valentine Society)

Chapter Twenty-One

I skip dinner that night and pick at breakfast the next morning, mumbling answers to Ellen’s worried questions. I can barely bring myself to look her in the eye. Does she know the truth? Does everybody?

I can’t stop thinking of Alexander’s last message. All I know is that one day she was gone. When I started probing into Etta, it was mostly just me being nosy. But now… now I’m wondering if I should be afraid. It would be easy for someone to disappear out here, I realize. Nobody even knows where I am, except for Benjamin and the staff.

And all of them are willing to hide Sebastian’s secrets.

I need to know the truth. And if nobody is willing to tell me, I suppose I’ll have to do some snooping.

I spend my evening exploring my room, searching through every inch in the hopes of finding something hidden. I find an old silver hairbrush in a drawer in the bathroom, and a dress I don’t recognize in a chest in the closet—further proof that a woman was in this room before me, but not much in the way of information.

So I venture out to the hallway, resisting the urge to tiptoe; I know Sebastian will be able to hear my heartbeat even if my footsteps don’t announce me. The rest of the staff should be gone for the evening. While I’m debating about where to begin in my search, I pass in front of a window and feel eyes on me.

I freeze and then slowly step backward to peer out through the glass. I catch a glimpse of a tall, lean figure in the tree line—but then I blink, and he’s gone.

I can’t believe Sebastian would lurk around outside to avoid me. But… it gives me an opportunity. Since Sebastian is out, I’m the only one here. I have the entire house to myself. I hesitate for only a moment before rushing to the library and struggling with the heavy door.

Sebastian’s usual chair sits empty, a book resting on the end table beside it. I open it, wondering if it will provide any insights… but it’s in Latin, because of fucking course it is. I huff, set it aside, and search for anything else personal but find nothing.

Next door is the music room, and it doesn’t hold much except an old grand piano. Then the drawing room with a stone fireplace and carved mantle. Neither of them seem promising.

The next door, one at the end of the hallway that I’ve never been inside before, is locked.

Sebastian’s bedroom? The temptation is too great. I fumble with my up-done hair and yank out a bobby pin.

I’ve never tried anything like this before, but I’ve seen it in movies. Surely movies wouldn’t lie to me, right? And anyway, I’m desperate at this point. I unfold the bobby pin so I have a flat metal piece, strip off the rubber knob with my teeth, and insert one end into the lock. Then I fumble around with it, face scrunched in concentration.

“Amelia?”

I shriek, nearly jumping out of my skin, and the bobby pin snaps in half. I hurriedly hide the makeshift lockpick in a fist behind my back as I whirl to face Sebastian, barely noticing the prick of a sharp, broken piece of metal in my thumb.

Sebastian is staring at me, his shoulders braced. “What in god’s name are you doing?” he asks. “You can’t go in there, it’s…” He reaches for me—and then he goes still. I glance at his hand where it squeezes my arm and then up at his face. His eyes are so dark, they’re nearly black. His lips are slightly parted, and his fangs are out. He looks like a stranger, unrecognizable from the man who carried me through the cold a few days ago.

Blood trickles down the injured finger I’m hiding behind my back, and I shiver with realization. My dread doubles as I recall, again, that we’re alone in the house… and that Sebastian did not feed this morning. Or yesterday morning. Or the one before.

Sebastian has never hurt me. He has always been achingly polite and gentle, even when he was cantankerous. But there’s something animalistic in his gaze right now, and I remember all of Benjamin’s lessons about how vampires use manners to cover up their true, violent natures.

And I realize that perhaps I should’ve been more afraid when I started probing into the mysterious disappearance of his former valentine.

“Sebastian,” I whisper, and try to pull my arm from his grip. His cold fingers tighten until they nearly hurt.

He’s so strong and so fast . I can’t believe he got from the trees to this hallway so quickly without me even hearing the crash of the front door or the creak of the stairs.

In one quick motion, he drags my hurt hand out from behind my back and pins my wrist to the door behind me. I cry out, more from surprise than pain, and struggle as his eyes zero in on the drop of blood where I pricked myself. He leans in and licks the droplet off my finger, slow and almost sensual, and groans.

“God,” he whispers. “The taste of you.”

I can’t lie—it would be hot if I weren’t scared out of my goddamn mind. And if he didn’t look so unlike himself right now. “Sebastian,” I whisper. “You’re scaring me.”

His eyes are blank. His mouth ghosts over my fingertips and down to my wrist, where his fangs graze the delicate skin just over my pulse point. My heart is hammering in my chest; I’m sure he can feel it through my skin.

“Sebastian,” I whimper again.

He opens his mouth.

“Sebastian, stop !” My voice cracks in desperation as I shout at him. My free hand presses against his chest in vain—I might as well be shoving a brick wall.

But he stops. Blinks. Recognition flickers behind his eyes, and then they focus on me. A moment later, he releases me and stumbles back as though I’ve burned him, horror etched on his face.

“Go,” he rasps. “Slowly. Don’t run, or I’ll… I can’t control myself, I…”

I back away, breathing hard, too afraid to turn my gaze away. But he stays in place, hands braced against the wall, until I make it into my bedroom. I slam the door behind me and lock it. Then I back away, trembling, certain that the flimsy piece of wood will do nothing if Sebastian decides to pursue me.

But he doesn’t. I know because a minute later I hear the front door slam so hard, the entire house seems to shake. When I dart over to the window to peer out, I see a car pulling out and racing down the road away from the estate, leaving me alone.