We’d been scouring the city library’s archives for several hours. Patrik looked through all the scientific papers available, while I took notes from pages of local lore—though we only had the Exiled Maras’ written words to go on. There was absolutely nothing from the Imen’s culture.

Patrik nervously flipped through the pages of a science journal that analyzed the effects of the asteroid belt on the Nerakian fauna and flora. There were patterns that the ancient Maras had identified, but they mostly concerned the impact of the asteroids in conjunction with the alignment of the three moons. He was beginning to lose patience, and it wasn’t like him.

“Are you okay?” I asked, taking a quick break from my notes. My survey of local lore hadn’t yielded any useful insights, other than the Maras’ suspicion that the asteroids influenced dreams during certain periods of time.

“Not really,” Patrik replied, pinching the bridge of his nose, a clear sign that tension was building up inside him. “I just can’t find anything useful. There’s no data on how to potentially disrupt the asteroids’ effect on communications and spells, but there are plenty of hypotheses on how they actually affect the planet. It’s like the Maras have plenty of information on the problem, but absolutely nothing on a solution.”

I looked down at my book, a three-hundred-year-old volume of folklore, and sighed. I had nothing to offer him either, but we couldn’t stop searching. We had to find a way to reach out to Calliope, and we definitely needed a way off the planet, sooner rather than later.

“I don’t think we’re done here yet,” I offered. “We’ll find something eventually. It has to be in here somewhere…”

“What if it isn’t?” He frowned, concern darkening his steely blue eyes. “What if this is all there is? What if we find nothing and I have no means of helping our team with those wretched asteroids? What if these are my limits?”

“Patrik, it’s not… I don’t think it will come to that,” I replied, not liking his hopelessness. Patrik was our beacon of light, the Druid with enough knowledge to get us out of any conundrum, no matter how difficult. It wasn’t in his nature to be so negative and frustrated, and it clawed at my stomach to see him like this. “I think we need a bit more patience, and to exhaust all our options here before we start looking elsewhere. It’s what we do…”

He leaned against the back of his chair and crossed his arms over his chest, sulking. His breathing was heavy, judging by how his chest moved up and down. His brow furrowed, and a vein started pulsating in his temple. He was getting anxious, even angry, and I had no idea what I could do to get him out of that state.

Anger never produced results, or even any good ideas. It was a destructive emotion and adverse to a Druid’s ethos.

“What if this is it? What if we’re stuck here for the rest of our lives?” Patrik muttered.

I shook my head, instantly rejecting that premise. There was no way that was happening. My family, my friends… my life… It was all back in The Shade and on Calliope, with GASP. I had no intention of spending an eternity on Neraka, surrounded by daemons and secretive Maras and brainwashed Imen. The mere concept of such powerlessness made my stomach churn in painful ways.

“That’s not happening, Patrik,” I replied, feeling my muscles tense and harden under the pressure of such grim thoughts.

“I’m feeling so damn helpless right now, Scarlett.” He looked at me, the pained look on his face too much for me to handle. “I should be able to fix this somehow. I should be able to help my team get through this, and I’m just so… powerless. How do I make this right?”

He was so nervous and insecure—I’d never seen this side of Patrik. On one hand it was endearing to see him in this light, to know he had weak spots despite his prowess in the magical arts. But it really wasn’t going to help us now. I needed Patrik at the top of his game.

I exhaled deeply and decided to do something that would disrupt his current state.

I need to shock him somehow…

“There’s nothing here to—” He tried to speak, but I cupped his face and kissed him, pressing my lips against his for a few deliciously long seconds. It was the only thing I could think of. And it felt so good. Time seemed to stop as I relished the sensation produced by his lips. His skin was so soft against my fingertips, I had a hard time letting go.

My heart fluttered in my chest, the taste of him lingering on my lips long after I pulled myself back. I needed a moment to catch my breath, my eyes closed as I struggled to regain my composure. The effect that Patrik had on me was far more powerful than I’d thought, and the kiss was vivid proof, as my brain had switched off.

Not a single thought passed through my head for about a minute, but my blood simmered. Tingling sensations traveled through my chest, gathering in my stomach before they dissolved into a peculiar but wonderful warmth spreading all over.

I opened my eyes and found Patrik staring at me, dumbfounded. His lips were parted, and his heart thundered in his chest, the frantic beating captured by my vampire senses. He was speechless, and I couldn’t help but smile softly.

“What… What…” he managed, his voice barely audible. He blinked several times, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

“I had to do something.” I shrugged, my cheeks catching fire. “You were spiraling out of control with all that negativity. I’m sorry…”

“No, don’t… I…”

His eyes lit up, and he lost his train of thought along the way. I knew that look. He had an idea.

“I know what to do,” he mumbled, straightening his back.

I can’t believe it worked…

“You do?” I croaked, now realizing the full impact that kissing him had on me. Ironically, he was snapping back to his old self, the confident Patrik that I’d fallen for, while I was melting on the inside, unable to string together a single coherent thought.

“Yes, I… I think I’ve got it.” He stood, reenergized and downright beaming with excitement. He took my hands and pulled me up to my feet, closing the distance between us to the point where barely a few inches separated our lips. “Thank you, Scarlett. It was a strange method you employed to snap me out of it, but it worked. We’ll have to talk about this later, but for now… we need to go.”

I nodded slowly, losing myself in his gaze for a split second before he guided me out of the reading room and back to the library’s main reception. He’d said we’d talk about it later, but what did that mean? Was I in some sort of trouble?

Pretty sure you’ve been in trouble since you first laid eyes on him, girl…

“There’s an ancient Druid spell I can use,” he said as we rushed down the circular staircase leading toward the main hall. “It’s part of the forbidden dark arts scrolls that Draven found at Stonewall, and it didn’t immediately spring to mind, but I think I can perform it here. I can aim it at the asteroid belt directly and try to disrupt its flow in space, but I’ll need some ingredients for it… Certain crystals and herbs.”

“Do you think the Maras have them?” I asked, finally able to speak as the concept of a forbidden spell set in. It meant we actually stood a chance after all.

“They might, if they brought some with them from Calliope,” he replied as we reached the reception desk. “If not, I could try to replace them with local ingredients and try the spell at a shorter range first, just to test it until I get the formula right. Either way, you were right, Scarlett. We can do this.”

My heart was doing expert somersaults at that point, as I was thrilled to have been able to give Patrik the support he desperately needed during such trying times. It filled me with a kind of happiness that I’d never experienced before. The Imen currently working in reception shifted their focus to us, producing faint but warm smiles.

“How can we help you?” one of them asked.

“I was wondering where we could find certain crystals, powders, and plants that the Maras may have brought over from Calliope when they first arrived here,” Patrik replied. “Surely they must have brought stuff over that wasn’t endemic to Neraka, right?”

The two Imen looked at each other, then back at us, and nodded.

“You might find what you’re looking for at the Spring Fair,” the first Iman said. “It just so happens that it starts tomorrow.”

“Ah, we’ll have to wait until tomorrow.” Patrik shook his head with disappointment.

“Well, you can also try Master Specter’s store on the first level, if you’re in a hurry,” the second Iman replied. “He usually opens a stall during the Spring Fair, as well. You could check with him first before the Spring Fair. He closes at midnight, so you still have some time.”

“Thank you.” Patrik beamed at the Imen with renewed enthusiasm, then gave me a confident wink. “Let’s go see Master Specter.”

He kept holding my hand as we left the library and rushed down the alleys and stone steps leading to the first level. The evening had set in cool shades of purple in the sky, the streetlamps were lit, and people had begun to scatter away to their homes.

My pulse raced as I followed Patrik, his touch making my arm tingle. I couldn’t believe I’d actually kissed him. My courage had come out of nowhere, and it had disappeared just as fast. But I’d kissed Patrik, and the feeling that lingered over my lips was proof that I hadn’t imagined it.

I held my breath whenever he glanced at me. All I could think of were the consequences of my gesture. How did this change the dynamic between us? Would it have a negative impact? Was he going to tell me I made a mistake?

Did I, though? Did I make a mistake? Or am I just overthinking this?

How couldn’t I overthink it? I’d just freakin’ kissed Patrik.