Page 66 of The Alien in the Archive

Asshole.

There’s a light at the top of the staircase, and above that, a collection of coral bells. I’ve heard the bells sometimes at dawn and dusk; they don’t ring on the hour like they would at home. Still now, M’mir’s twin moons gleam off the side, illuminating a passage to what looks like thin air.

“That must be it,” I whisper.

Thorne scoffs. “You really are about to get us killed, aren’t you?”

I ignore him and pull him forward, and soon we’re stepping out onto the balcony, the cool night air brushing against my face. The view…it’s even better than Thalara described. Off to our right, Mythara stretches out to the mountains; to our left, the Grand Library; and straight ahead, the Nautilum is more visible under the waves than I’ve ever seen before. Along the coast, a bullet train zips in a stream of bright light along the tracks, heading to some other library on some other part of the planet—maybe the Arborium, the Eiskammer…all places I would love to explore one day.

“Wow,” I breathe.

Thorne squeezes my hand. “Hm…it’s not so bad.”

We move forward, where there is—as Lyn promised—a very sturdy, high railing. I lean against it, watching the light play across the water. Thorne leans against it as well, our elbows touching.

“This is…” he trails off.

“I know,” I agree.

For a while, neither of us speaks. Yrsa’s Cradle isoverhead, reflecting in such a way that I think, if I looked close enough, I would see the face of the Skoll goddess herself. It makes me look up at the stars rather than into the ocean, at the glimmering moons and countless planets.

“I want to see it all,” I say, finally breaking the silence.

Thorne looks over at me, brow furrowed.

“The galaxy,” I clarify, turning to face him. “The stars, the planets…all of it. I don’t want to stay trapped in one place forever.”

He huffs. “You sound like a child dreaming of fairy tales,” he says…but it isn’t mean, not really. It sounds more like he admires that perspective, and like he’ll never find it again for himself.

“You could come with me,” I add, keeping my eyes on him.

Thorne looks at me, silver irises brighter than ever in those dark sclerae. I realize with a start that he’s anxious; I can feel the raw current of tension in his mind, buzzing.

“You know this is the first time I’ve seen the sky in decades,” he says. “And even this…leaving the Obscuary. It’s a stretch.”

“So, is that a no?” I ask.

Thorne looks back at the stars, then he extends his hand and takes mine, smiling.

“It’s a maybe,” he says.

I snort. “Maybe? That’s it? Not exactly a ringing endorsement, Thorne.”

He turns me to face him, threading his fingers through mine. “You need to learn to be satisfied with the answers you get, Page,” he murmurs.

I cock my head. “You should know that’s not in my nature.”

When he kisses me—like all the other times he’s kissed me—it takes my breath away. It’s slow, tender…annoyingly so. Thorne takes command of the kiss, releasing one of my hands to hold my chin in place as he kisses me at the agonizing pace he desires.

His tongue glides across my lips; I open for him, welcoming him in. He pulls me just slightly closer, though it’s not enough…never enough.

We pull away from each other; he keeps it annoyingly chaste. Thorne gazes into my eyes.

“I hope maybe is enough for now,” he says quietly, no hint of sarcasm in those words.

I smile. “It is. But…”

I pull away from him, holding up my finger in anticipation as I go for my bag. I open it up and find the empty notebook I placed there earlier—a simple leather journal that’s been lying around in my house since I arrived. I hold it out to him, watching as his expression shifts to confusion.

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