Page 45 of The Alien in the Archive (Galactic Librarians #1)

45

THORNE

T onight will change everything…and determine if I’ll be parted from Page, or not.

I lurk in the shadows of the stacks near the gate, waiting for Davina and Ferhalda to arrive. Page is back at her cottage as we agreed–far enough away to avoid suspicion, but I can still feel her through the bond. She’s worried.

So am I.

Ashlan sits by my feet, the only sound his tail swishing lazily against the stone floor. For once, he’s content to stay quiet.

The gate creaks open.

Davina steps through, her eyes sweeping the darkness. A glow lamp illuminates her hand, its light glinting off her metallic skin and the silver in her dark hair. Her expression is careful, but not fearful. She’s searching for me.

I step forward into the golden light.

For a long moment, Davina just stares. I’ve seen that look before, but only from Page and Riley. The wide eyes, the slight parting of lips…but there’s no terror in her. No hesitation .

Just shock. Or perhaps curiosity, like she’s discovered something.

No wonder Page was selected as her mentee.

“You’re real,” she murmurs. “Thorne Valtheris.”

I nod once. “I am.”

She takes a slow breath, and I brace myself for what she’ll say next. Accusations. Questions. Demands.

But what she says takes me off guard.

“It’s an honor to meet you.”

I blink, unsure if I’ve heard her correctly. “You…honor me?”

She gives me a small smile. “Your mentor, Zerithek Nexorin—his works on ethics and dissent during the late Borean Republic were the foundation of my career. Seeing how the republic destroyed itself for the sake of crafting a myth of immortal power…it’s my life’s work.”

I can’t help the small, bitter smile that pulls at my mouth. I hadn’t even been able to recall Nexorin’s name until recently, but now the loss is keen again. “All that work…and look what it brought him.”

Davina’s brow furrows. “And yet, here you are. Proof that his work meant something.”

For a moment, I don’t know what to say. To hear that someone, anyone , still remembers him…

“Come with me,” I say, my voice rough. “Page said you want to see the reading room. I intend to show you.”

She nods, and I’m surprised once again when she follows me without delay. There’s not a trace of fear in her mind…just intellectual exhilaration.

It gives me hope.

We begin the trek through the Obscuary, Davina beside me. Ashlan pads quietly ahead, weaving through the stacks, Davina’s light glowing in her hand. “I’ve never been this far back,” she says. “The archivists don’t go here; said it was dangerous, that it was too easy to get lost.”

“That was intentional,” I reply. “A safeguard. The Obscuary wasn’t just built for knowledge; it was built to protect it.”

“By whom?” she asks.

“By a collective. Scholars from three species: Borean, Merati, Skoll. It was a place of learning, of unity.” I glance over at her. “Before the Empire.”

She doesn’t respond, but I can sense her growing excitement.

For me, this is my last gasp at salvation.

For her, it’s a revelation.

We reach the reading room, its ancient door shut. Davina immediately approaches it, eyes darting over the figures engraved on the door. I give her a moment to examine it in the light. “Is this it?” she says. “The reading room?”

“Would you like to go inside?”

She nods vigorously. “Yes. Please.”

I open the door, and Davina steps through, her gaze sweeping the space in open wonder.

“This…” She trails off, stepping toward the ancient, untouched shelves. “This shouldn’t exist.”

“Few know it does,” I say, watching her as she moves deeper into the room. Her hands hover near the carefully arranged books and scrolls, reverent but careful not to touch. “The reading room was the heart of our work. Here, we debated, studied, created. For a brief time, the Obscuary held everything we dreamed could be possible.”

Davina turns back to me, expression unreadable. “And then?”

I shrug. “You know our history better than most anyone else still alive. You tell me. ”

“The republic was overthrown and the Empire established. Histories of the republic were largely destroyed,” she replies. I can feel her sadness over it—that scholarly empathy I’ve seen in Page. “This place…it must have meant everything to you.”

“It did.”

“And now?”

“I found something more important.”

She studies me for a moment, then sits at the ancient table in the center of the room. She lets her glow lamp hover above her, clasping her hands. “Thorne,” she says softly, “why have you come out of the shadows now? Why did you write to me? And why has Page risked everything to keep you hidden?”

I stare at her. The air feels heavy, because I know what I say next could be taken the wrong way. My people were telepaths, monsters…and we were known to seduce people into working with us, making them thralls.

I sit across from her.

“She’s my mate,” I murmur.

Davina’s brows rise, but she nods.

“You don’t seem surprised,” I observe.

She rolls her shoulders, peering thoughtfully toward the skylight and the stars overhead. “You clearly care about her,” she says. “And she told me you’d grown close. I suspected something deeper connected the two of you.”

“She saved me,” I murmur. “That’s why I wrote to you, because I wanted her to stop risking herself for me. I won’t let her life be destroyed for my sake.”

Davina exhales. “It’s a difficult situation. And you want me to focus on saving her, if necessary…but I want to save you both.”

I regard her carefully. “You do?”

She meets my gaze. “I’m a scholar. You’re the most important discovery of my career—and Page’s. I won’t let you be buried in a vault. I’ll act as your intermediary, take your case to the administration, frame it in the right way. But you need to trust me.”

I grimace. Trust isn’t something I give lightly. Even with Page, who I could sense had a special connection with me…it took me weeks to open up to her.

But in this moment, I don’t have a choice.

“I’ll trust you,” I say. “But if you betray us?—”

“I won’t,” she interrupts. “I want this to work as much as you do.”

For the first time in centuries, I let myself believe it might.

Davina stands, retrieving her lantern. “I’ll return tomorrow with everything we need to start building your case. I’ll need access to as much of the Archive as you can give me.”

“You’ll have it,” I say.

She steps toward the door, pausing just before she leaves. “Thorne…thank you for trusting me. And for what it’s worth, I believe Zerithek Nexorin would be proud of you.”

Davina gets up to continue looking through the archive before I can respond, and I sit in silence. Ashlan jumps onto the table, staring at me with unblinking eyes. I reach out through the bond, letting Page feel the flicker of cautious hope in my chest.

We might have a chance. We’re not alone in this anymore.