Page 106 of The Alien in the Archive

I shrug on my sweater and pull up the hood, then tuck the letter securely into an inner pocket. The Obscuary is silent around me, its vast halls and endless shelves holding their breath. Ashlan doesn’t follow me, sensing my mood.

It’s easy enough to slip through the gate. I’m a ghost, padding down the hall, finding Davina’s office. At her door, I hesitate only a moment before slipping the letter into the mailbox.

Then, it’s done.

I take a breath, force myself to turn away. The hallway is quiet, glow lamps casting a warm, steady light, and for the first time in days, I feel a strange kind of calm.

The letter is with Davina now; our fate in her hands.

Whatever comes next is up to her.

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PAGE

Everyone is staring at me.

In any situation, this wouldn’t be my favorite feeling. As someone who spends most of her life hiding in books, I’m not a fan of attention.

And right now…? Well, this sucks.

As I get more uncomfortable, the books lower to the floor—slowly, rather than all at once. Riley is standing closest to me, ready to bail me out if necessary. Thalara stands near him, eyes wide. Lyn, stiff and bristling, has moved toward the couch with her arms crossed, and Orin is now examining the books which, I hope, are harmless again.

“You need to explain,” Lyn says. “Now.”

I glance at Riley, hoping he’ll help me out. He opens his mouth like he’s going to swoop in with some clever one-liner, but then he just closes it again, giving me a helpless shrug.

I swallow hard. “I was going to tell you?—”

“When?” Lyn snaps. “After we got dragged into something we didn’t sign up for? I mean…I spent all that time telling you about my great-grandmother the other night, and you’re Borean?”

“It’s not like that,” I say quickly. “I was trying to?—”

“Boreans are theonlyone who were ever able to do anything like this!” Lyn interrupts. “And…Riley, did you know about this?”

Riley winces. “Yeah…but she’s my sister, Lyn. I’ve always had her back. And none of you were in danger.”

“If she’s Borean…” Lyn continues.

“Let her talk, Lyn,” Thalara says. “She’s not Borean. I believe that. But…gods, I don’t know how, but you found one of them, didn’t you? And whoever they are…you’ve had questions. They’ve been teaching you?”

I stare at her, letting out a shocked breath. I didn’t give her enough credit; Thalara might just be a genius. “You figured that out from what I was asking you in the Turitella?”

“I didn’t know why you had this sudden interest, and the powers…you kept finding sources I didn’t know existed?—”

“Wait a fucking second,” Orin interrupts, raising his hands. “Can we rewind for a second? Books are flying, Lyn is yelling, and Riley looks like he’s about to pass out. Am I the only one who has no idea what’s going on?”

“I don’t know, Orin, it sounds like Page has been harboring a dangerous alien somewhere in the Archive,” Lyn says. “Is that right, Thalara?”

“I really don’t know.” Thalara eyes grow wide. “It seems preposterous, but…”

Lyn sucks in a breath, looking back at me.

“Page,” she says, her voice a low hiss. “Your mystery guy…the guy you work with, secretive, in the archive–the guy you thought may have knocked you up?—”

“Yeah, we’re gonna have to talk about that,” Riley mutters.

“—he’s Borean?” Lyn finishes.

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