Rising

  ***

  Xanthus pushed Sara through the doors of an Italian restaurant across the street from the concert hall. He’d done a search for fine restaurants near the concert. He hoped the food was as good as the reviews said it was. They were seated a few minutes later.

  “I love this restaurant,” Sara said. “My mom and I used to go to the one on the Big Island all the time.” Her eyes were a bright, shimmering blue and her cheeks rosy. She’d never looked more beautiful.

  “This is my first time here,” Xanthus said. “I don’t even know what’s good. Do you have any suggestions?”

  “The lobster ravioli in tomato sauce is to die for.”

  Somehow, Xanthus didn’t think he’d ever consider dying for any kind of human food, but he smiled at her crazy lingo. “I’ll take your word for it.”

  The waiter stepped up to the table. “Welcome to the Orchard….”

  Xanthus followed Sara’s suggestion and ordered the lobster dish. She didn’t follow her own advice, but ordered something called cappelini pescatore. A short time later, Xanthus came face to face with the most terrifying thing he’d ever encountered—human food. What lay before him looked strange, foreign, and smelled horrible—like nothing he’d ever come in contact with before.

  He took his first tentative bite and came to the immediate conclusion that it tasted as bad as it smelled. He didn’t even have anything to compare it to, but given the taste, texture, and burning hot temperature, the lobster was definitely dead.

  Xanthus did his best to look as if he were enjoying the food. Sara’s company more than made up for the terrible meal. He was both shocked and delighted to see she was not afraid to speak her mind. It was very different from Dagonian females, who rarely spoke to males—and that was only if directly spoken to. Even when they did, they never voiced an opinion. Hades. If he hadn’t been so close to his own mother and sister, he wouldn’t have known females even had opinions. Sara not only had her own opinions, she spoke them clearly and intelligently.

  Resisting her enticing scent was still a trial, but he was finding it easier. She was just so sweet. He couldn’t imagine breaching her trust.