Page 22 of The Alien in the Archive (Galactic Librarians #1)

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A s strange as everything else has been lately, I think a girls’ night is warranted.

Thorne has been on my mind all day, and as much as I want to go back to him tonight, I know we both need a break. A moment to think. To breathe. Or maybe just for me to convince myself this isn’t completely insane. I’ve never felt this way before, and if I’m being honest, it scares me.

So I called Riley, but he was busy…and then I thought, why not call Thalara? We’re friends, right?

And now I’m headed to a bar to meet up with her and Lyn.

The bar is nestled in a busy corner of Mythara Village’s town square, its entrance marked by a sign etched with curling, glowing Merati characters. Inside, the space is dim and cozy, filled with the low hum of conversation and the occasional splash of water. This is definitely a Merati dive—no pun intended—with shifted Merati lounging at poolside bars and holding tumblers in their tentacles, while others sit in booths. A trio of Merati musicians play alien instruments in one corner, the melodies reminding me of jazz back home.

It’s nice…calm. And with a start, it dawns on me that I’m hearing psychic chatter, but I’m not overwhelmed by it. I hear a couple people whose attraction to each other is clear; someone else is annoyed with the music.

I’ve just arrived when I catch sight of Thalara and Lyn, tucked into a tiny little booth. Thalara is grinning widely, blue-black hair in an intricate updo, golden eyes sparkling. She’s wearing a coral-colored wrap dress that hugs her curves, very much like someone who plans on flirting tonight. Lyn, on the other hand, is wearing a purple concert tee and jeans, curly hair wild in a halo around her head.

Ironically, I think Lyn is the only one looking to get some action tonight. Thalara is too crazy about my brother to want anyone else.

“Page!” Thalara squeals, her smile almost too big. “You made it!”

She scoots over and lets me sit down, and I realize the booth is shaped like a seashell as I slide in with them.

“As you can tell, Thalara has already had a couple drinks,” Lyn snorts, shaking her head.

“Riley called me a lightweight.” Thalara picks up her glass and takes a sip, sighing in delight after she’s swallowed. “I don’t know what that means, but I agree.”

“You agree with everything Riley says,” Lyn chides. “And besides, I’m not judging. You need to sow your wild oats before the inevitable arranged marriage, right?”

Thalara rolls her eyes but doesn’t deny it. Instead, she takes another sip of her drink and sighs, this time more wistful than delighted. “It’s not inevitable,” she says. “And besides, I like the oats part better than the sowing.”

“Noted, another figure of speech you don’t understand,” Lyn chuckles. She looks over at me. “We’re trying very hard to get her in the know on human figures of speech, but it’s been a bit of an uphill climb.”

“Hey, I think I’m doing a really good job,” Thalara says. “Given that I grew up where all we sow is seaweed and to get up a hill you can just…swim?”

“Fair,” I laugh. “So…what are we drinking?”

“This,” Lyn points to her glass—a deep green liquid that glows faintly around the edges, “is an Emerald Abyss. Don’t ask what’s in it, because I have no idea. But it’s strong.”

Thalara pushes her drink toward me. It’s bright pink, with tiny floating orbs that shimmer like pearls. “And this one is called the Coral Bloom,” she says. “It’s sweeter.”

I take a cautious sip of Thalara’s drink, the fruity sweetness lingering on my tongue. “Wow,” I laugh. “That is very dangerous.”

Thalara beams, clearly pleased. “I thought you’d like it.”

I flag down a waiter and order a Coral Bloom of my own, leaning back against the cushioned booth as the music swells.

This is good…I’m glad I’m here.

Even if I would prefer to be getting railed in a dusty library right now.

By the time the second round of drinks arrive, we’ve settled into comfortable conversation—mostly Thalara and Lyn going back and forth about some festival coming up in a few months. I try to focus on what they’re talking about, to live in the moment, but…

My mind keeps wandering back to Thorne.

To kissing him, holding him, connecting.

I reach out to him without meaning to, getting a glimpse of a book. He immediately pushes back, as if it’s something salacious, and I retreat with a small laugh. I try again and get a glimpse of something that is indeed salacious, and I laugh even louder.

“Uh…Page? ”

I look up and realize Lyn and Thalara are both staring.

“Sorry,” I say quickly. “Just…remembering something funny.”

Thalara tilts her head, her mouth twisting in a sly smile. “It’s them, isn’t it?”

I freeze. Does she know? I swallow hard. “Uh…who?”

“Whoever’s got you smiling like that,” Thalara says, leaning forward.

Lyn scoffs. “Damn, Page, you’re seeing someone? Where do you even find the time?”

“I’m not…”

“Riley told me,” Thalara cuts in. “He said you were seeing someone but wouldn’t give details. Is it another scholar? Or…” she gasps, “is it a professor?”

Damn it, Riley .

“No, it’s not a professor,” I mutter. “Just…another researcher. And we’re not really seeing each other either.”

“Then what is it?” Thalara says.

I hesitate, glancing between them. The words “it’s complicated” hover on the tip of my tongue—an easy dismissal, but I get the feeling they’re not going to let this go.

“Is he human or are you getting it on with an alien?” Lyn asks, interested piqued. “I’ve been like… dying to know what it’s like to get with a Nyeri’i?—”

“Isn’t your supervisor Nyeri’i?” Thalara squeaks, scandalized.

“Yes, but that’s not the point,” Lyn says. “Tell us about your alien boyfriend.”

I cough, choking on my drink as I start to laugh. “I don’t want to tell you too much because it’s still new,” I say. “He’s…reclusive. Shy, I guess. Likes his privacy. But he’s…God, he’s amazing.”

Thalara’s grinning like a fool, Lyn clearly wants to know more. She raises her eyebrow. “Reclusive, huh? What flavor? ‘ Brooding poet in the mountains’ or ‘mad scientist in the basement’?”

“Definitely more mad scientist in the basement,” I snicker.

Lyn lets out a loud laugh. “Not gonna judge, not gonna judge. Everyone has a type, I guess.”

“Like I said, he doesn’t really get out much,” I tell them. “I mean…we haven’t even gone out on a proper date.”

“Oh!” Thalara says. “I have the perfect spot.”

“Thalara, I’m sure you do, but…”

“No, no, if he’s shy, you could bring him to the belfry above the Turitella,” she says. “People go up there to watch the sunset, but there’s never anyone there at night, and it has a beautiful view of the Nautilum.”

“She’s right,” Lyn adds. “And there’s even a really sturdy railing to hang onto during…activities.”

I wiggle my eyebrows. “Are you speaking from personal experience?”

She looks away in feigned bashfulness. “Maybe…”

Thalara lets out a horrified gasp, covering her mouth. “Lyn!”

“What?” Lyn says, completely unrepentant. “I’m just being practical. Sturdy railings are important.”

I can’t stop laughing, the image of Thorne—of all people—standing in a romantic belfry or bending me over a “sturdy railing”...well, that’s a little more appealing.

“I’ll think about it,” I tell Thalara. “Promise.”

“Good,” she says. “And I suppose…well, you can keep your secrets for now, but I want to meet him.”

“Okay, okay…enough about me and my situationship,” I say. “What about you? Lyn, I’m pretty sure you just confessed you’re horny for Kaelion Rhyss.”

“Shut up,” Lyn chides, her cheeks turning rosy. “But also…the man is fine . Like, what them head tentacles do? And his mind? Even sexier. ”

Thalara is doubly scandalized by that. She looks like she’s about to pass away from mortification. “You did not just say that out loud.”

“We’re among friends,” Lyn says, completely unbothered as she leans back in her seat with a wicked grin. “What? Don’t act like I’m the only one here who’s ever had an inappropriate thought about an older man.”

She has no idea how right she is.

“Well, I never have,” Thalara scoffs.

“Right…because you’re completely in love with Page’s brother,” Lyn says.

Thalara lowers her eyes, her opalescent skin turning more of a coral pink. She bites her lip, and I wonder for a second if we’ve gone too far. Not that it was a secret from me—I’ve been reading it in her thoughts since the first time we met.

“Hey,” I tell her. “We’re not trying to shame you or anything. Riley’s a good guy.”

“Absolutely,” Lyn says. “And he’s jacked.”

“Stop,” Thalara groans. “This is so embarrassing.”

“It’s adorable,” I say, nudging her shoulder. “You’ve got good taste.”

“Please don’t tell him,” she whispers, her voice hitching in a light panic. “I shouldn’t even…my parents would never approve?—”

“Nothing leaves this table,” Lyn assures her. “But really…are you okay? With like, the arranged marriage stuff? I know you’ve mentioned it before, and I feel like an asshole for treating it like a joke.”

Glimpses of Thalara’s inner thoughts hit me—romanticizing arranged marriages when she was young, dreading it since she left Triton and even more since she met Riley…

“It’ll be fine.” Thalara smiles softly, but the way she twists her glass tells me otherwise. “It’s just…hard, you know? Ev ery other species seems more willing to change, even the Merati ever since Queen Fiona’s ascension on Homeworld…but my family? They cling to tradition like it’s all that matters. What I want doesn’t even factor in.”

I glance at Lyn, who meets my gaze with a rare seriousness.

“That sounds exhausting,” Lyn says. “I mean…people on Earth are like that too sometimes, but it’s brutal when it’s your family. Like, it’s not just tradition—it’s control.”

“Exactly,” Thalara sighs. “It isn’t even about Riley, right? What if I start something with someone and I’m just…dragged back to Triton anyway? I don’t think my family truly cares about what I want.”

“I believe love finds a way,” Lyn states, surprising me with her romanticism. “And I think both of you are going to find a way to happiness…and maybe I’ll find a way to get it on with a hot Nyeri’i.”

We all laugh, Thalara’s blush fading. I look around at the two other women, seeing the glow of booze on all three of us. I think it’s about time to call it a night; my head is swimming.

“Well,” I say. “I am quite drunk and I’ve got an early day in the Obscuary tomorrow. You two gonna stick around?”

“Nah, I’ve got a lab first thing in the morning,” Lyn says. “But before we go…”

She raises her glass, and the rest of us do the same. “Here’s to putting our careers first, right ladies?”

I laugh, shaking my head. I needed that reminder. “Hear, hear.”

We clink our glasses together, then finish our drinks. But even as I smile, I feel the pull—that quiet, constant presence of Thorne lingering at the edge of my mind.

And I might say that my career comes first, but I’m already planning how I’ll drive him crazy when I get home.