Page 12 of The Alien in the Archive

But I can’t keep doing it forever.

The faint scent of Elixir coursing through her veins is enough to make my jaw ache, a reminder of the hunger I’ve kept chained so long. A muscle ticks in my neck, canines pressing into my gums. I force myself to breathe.

It wouldn’t do to lose control now—not after all these years of careful restraint.

Ashlan senses my unease, lifting his head to nuzzle against my knuckles. His antennae glow brighter, casting long shadows around the co-opted and repurposed furniture, tapestries, books. I scratch him absently, trying to distract myself.

But the memories rise unbidden, as they always do when I’m unsettled.

The Celestial Convergence. Elixir-fueled orgies of violence and power plays.

Victims…dead and dying on Earth, on Eyela, on Kanin.

My people deserved to go instinct. But I remain, hiding in this labyrinthine library.

Ashlan chirps again, pulling me back to the present. I glance down at him and feel a pang of guilt. He doesn’t understand the depths of my darkness. He only sees me as I am now—a reclusive bibliophile buried in the Archives, hiding from the galaxy and himself.

And yet, even here, in the one place where I’ve found peace, she threatens to disrupt it.

I rise from my chair, the springs creaking beneath me, and pace the length of my alcove. Ashlan follows, tiny paws padding softly against the stone. The scent of her is stronger tonight, and I know she’s close.

Too close.

Intoxicatingly, deliciously close.

For weeks, I’ve kept my distance, content to let her wander the Archives in search of whatever answers she seeks. But her presence is a distraction I can no longer ignore.

Who is she?

Why is there Elixir in her blood? So much Elixir, more than I’ve ever sensed in a non-Borean.

And why, despite every instinct screaming at me to stay away, do I find myself drawn to her? Centuries of restraint undone byone girl.

How poetic.

How utterly pathetic.

Ashlan chirps, nudging my leg, and I glance down at him with a sigh. “I know, Ashlan” I murmur, voice hoarse. “I should leave it alone. But she’s…”

I trail off.

The truth is, I don’t know what she is. A threat? A curiosity?A reminder of everything I’ve spent centuries trying to forget?

Whatever the answer, I can feel the balance of my solitude tilting toward something dangerous and unknown.

And deep down, I know. I’ll give in to her eventually.

Because I’ve always been a monster…and monsters can’t resist destroying beautiful things.

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There’s a book missing.

I look down at the library resource guide on my ID card, then back at the shelf. They use an entirely different numbering system here so it’s taken time to learn where things are, but I’m getting to know the stacks pretty well.

And there is definitely a book missing:The Song of Aethra, an old Merati text on Elixir currents.

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