Page 26 of The Alien in the Archive

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Ishould be more creeped out that the psychic alien was following me, but I can’t be bothered to care.

Like a dog on a leash, I leave the archive proper just before sunrise and I look for the sensation of him—finding the path by winding through the stacks and searching for the feeling of his mind. I desperately try to ignore the nagging reminder of my sex dream from last night, telling myself it’s just because this is new and exciting, and Thorne is a source of potentially unlimited knowledge.

Right. It has nothing to do with the roguish good looks and the dark academia novels I used to smuggle into the convent. None at all.

I take a deep breath and let it ground me. No dreams, no fantasies, no…weird moments where I hear his voice in my head. Just research. I’ve been keeping my thoughts disciplined since yesterday, forcing myself to focus on the questions I’ve been chasing since before I even knew Thorne existed.

That’s why I’m here—to learn about the Lost Expeditions and humanity’s history with Elixir.

Not to wonder why his voice feels like it’s echoing inside me.

The secret door to his alcove is already open when I arrive, signaling that he was clearly waiting for me. He’s sprawled in that velvet chair again—God, that velvet chair—one leg draped over the arm rest, a book held loosely in his hand. The light from the skylight catches in his silver-white hair, his lean form clearly visible beneath a plain white shirt and black pants.

He looks like any other academic…in grayscale.

His black eyes flick to me then.

“You came,” he says.

“You asked me to.”

“I did.” He puts his book down, then straightens up. “I thought you’d like to see more of the Obscuary today.”

He stands, towering over me, and I cock my head, confused. “You’re not…don’t you need to stay hidden?”

He rolls his shoulders. “Not at night.”

“So you just…” I pause, frowning. “Aren’t you worried someone might see you?”

He smirks. “No one comes this far into the Obscuary. I’m more of a ghost here than a guest.”

I think he’s expecting me to laugh, but I can’t bring myself to do it…because there’s this sadness rolling off him, deep and dark.

He doesn’t see himself as a person; he thinks he’s a relic, just like the books here.

I’m about to say something about it, but he brushes past me toward the door. “Well?” he says. “Are you coming?”

I follow him, nodding. “Of course.”

We leave his alcove and take a left—deeper into the stacks than I’ve ever gone, into areas that aren’t on my map. The library is vast, planet-wide, so I figured there had to be unmapped areas in the Obscuary…but this is extreme. I only have more questions when Thorne’s pet, Ashlan, materializes out of nowhere to trot along beside us.

“Is it dangerous back here?” I ask.

Thorne takes a beat to respond—a beat that leaves me more in suspense than I would like. Here I am, going headfirst into complete isolation with an ancient monster.

Just because I’m smart doesn’t mean I’m savvy.

“Not really,” he says. “Well…it can be, if you get lost. Pay no mind to the skeletons in the stacks.”

“Seriously?”

“No,” he snorts over his shoulder. “You’re fine, Page. You’re with me.”

I shouldn’t feel secure with that, not at all.

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