Nothing has ever excited Tylen Merodine more than being invited by the Regent himself to celebrate the first solar eclipse in his planet’s recorded history. It’s the party of the millennium, and if he has to restrain his normal exuberant instincts to fit in, that’s what he’ll do to be a part of it. His good intentions vanish, however, the moment he’s presented to the Regent. Because there, in a gilded cage, playing music unlike anything Tylen’s ever heard, is the most beautiful alien he could imagine. For more than twenty years, Dek has lived in captivity, performing at the whim of those who see him as an animal. The Regent is just the latest in a long line of owners, and while he’s kind, he’s still blind to Dek’s sentient nature. Only music gives Dek a voice, until Tylen breaks the rules and sneaks in to see and speak to him alone. The time they have together is stolen and precious, the minutes ticking away until the eclipse is past and they have to go back to the way their lives were before. But when the Regent shows an unexpected interest in Tylen’s future, they begin to wonder if their worlds need to remain so separate ...

Aria of the Eclipse

When I didn’t move,Johaf sighed and rolled his eyes.“Nineteen minutes.”He dropped into one of the chairs and stretched out.“I know you’re not dumb,so stop acting like an idiot.Get some sun while you can.The Regent’s got plans for you.Who knows when you’ll get another chance?”


He’d uttered more words to me today than he’d used for me in the past six months.I craved what he offered as much as I did for Tylen,the opportunity to bask without barrier,but feared trusting him would prove my downfall.Why would he lie,though?He would do nothing to risk the Regent’s wrath.I knew that to the bottom of my heart.


Chapter 20