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

“And you’ve recently come of age?”Honor asked.


“Within the Circle here on Ymoro,it’s called coming of status,”the Regent gently explained.“It’s a social standing,not a measure of maturity.”


“I’m twenty-five,”I clarified.“I’d like to think I’ve been mature for some time now.”


Vescha’s light trill of laughter helped relay my meaning,though the way the foursome smiled was reassuring it wasn’t necessary.“He’s been educating me about Astinia tonight,too,”she said.“So much I didn’t know.”


Honor nodded along.“Ah,that’s where—”


“Yes,”the Regent interrupted.“That’s where Dek is originally from.”


Almost as a group,the Mierians looked over at the cage.Dek was still playing,though now his eyes were closed and he was lost in the music.Easier for him to escape and forget where he was,I knew,but the knowledgestill saddened me.


Chapter 22