Rising

  ***

  Sara smiled, enjoying every minute of her date. Xanthus gently pushed her and her wheelchair across a sidewalk lined with coconut trees. The sun was just beginning to set, bringing a warm radiance to everything it touched and the cool, floral-scented air breezed through her hair like a gentle kiss. The glowing concert hall beckoned ahead.

  “Sara,” Gretchen squealed the moment Sara and Xanthus stepped through the door. Gretchen hurried over and Hal followed. She beamed at Sara and then looked up at Xanthus. Her eyes went wide and her jaw slack. “Wow,” she mouthed, then composed herself and smiled. “Hi, you must be Xanthus. Sara has told me so much about you.” Gretchen and Hal both had to crane their necks to look Xanthus in the eye.

  “Hello Gretchen,” Xanthus said. “And this must be Hal.”

  Hal looked taken aback by Xanthus’s overwhelming presence. “Nice to meet you,” Xanthus said. Hal hesitated a second before he came forward, clasped Xanthus’s hand, and shook. He then turned to Sara and his face lit up. He came forward and took her hand in both of his. “Sara, you look stunning.” She smiled wide, pleased at his compliment. Then she turned to Xanthus.

  Xanthus’s eyes were ablaze.

  He was jealous. Wow. How he could be jealous of anyone else was beyond her, but still she needed to squelch this before it got any worse.

  Sara released her hand from Hal’s grip and reached out to pull Xanthus in closer. “Xanthus, Hal is my hairdresser.”

  Xanthus crinkled his brow in confusion.

  “He’s a hairstylist. He just did my hair today.”

  “Oh, well he did a wonderful job; you look beautiful.” He made an effort to look relaxed, but Sara saw lingering apprehension.

  Sara wondered how Gretchen was taking all this talk of her looking so beautiful and glanced her way. She should have known. Gretchen’s face was beaming as she smiled and winked at Sara. It was an ‘I told you so’ wink. Gretchen was always telling her how pretty she was. Sara was forever doubtful and now Gretchen was gloating.

  Gretchen came forward, taking Hal’s hand. He melted into her side. “We’d better take our seats,” Gretchen said. “Xanthus, you could push Sara to her seat but the aisles are so narrow that it might be easier if you just carry her. She’s not too heavy for you, is she?”

  Sara was mortified.

  “This little water lily too heavy for me?” Xanthus asked. “I don’t think so.” He lifted her out of the wheelchair. Sara was surprised by his quick movement and, for a moment, felt off balance. She threw her arms around his neck to steady herself. He had a smirk on his face and she knew he’d done it on purpose. Her heart beat double time. She wasn’t sure if it was from the surprise or the excitement of being held by Xanthus. It was probably from both.

  “I’ll make sure Sara’s chair is taken care of,” Gretchen said as she pushed it away.

  Moments later, they were seated near the front. Sara looked on in amazement at the concert hall. Plush seats filled the wide hall and even more seats filled the balcony, which seemed to float above the floor. Her excitement built and she had to check herself to keep from bouncing like a toddler in a candy shop. The upcoming performance was a Chinese orchestra with dance performers. It was supposed to be incredible. Sara loved music. It didn’t matter the style or genre—if it was good, she adored it.

  Xanthus slipped his arm around her shoulders and she practically purred. It just felt so right being here with him. But how would he feel about her deformed legs? It was easy for him to say he’d like her regardless of what her malformed body looked like. He’d never actually seen it. How would he react to seeing it in the flesh?

  Sara could still remember the reactions doctors had had when she went in for an appointment after leaving her mom. She’d gone in search of hope, but found only despair. The doctors couldn’t have looked more shocked if they’d seen a green alien with squirming tentacles. After days of tests and collaboration, they’d told her the only way she could have any semblance of a normal life was to have it surgically removed. They’d told her there were thousands of people living with no legs and she could go on to have a normal life. But as long as she clung to her deformity, she’d be a freak.

  They were crazy, insane. She’d never been back to a doctor since. But, deep in her heart, she wondered if they were right.

  She looked over at Xanthus. What would she do if he rejected her? She didn’t know if she could take it. And when did she start caring so deeply about him? They’d just met. This was their first date. Who knew if there’d be a second? However, the thought of him rejecting her had her terrified.

  “Sara, what’s wrong?” Xanthus whispered in her ear.

  “What? No, nothing’s wrong.”

  “Is it someone in this hall? Why are you afraid?” He glanced around, looking for the cause of her distress.

  This man was too observant. “It’s nothing, really.”

  The lights dimmed and the music swelled. Sara forgot her troubles the moment the music began. Thankfully, Xanthus seemed to relax too. The next hour and a half they were treated to an amazing performance. The music was lively—a beautiful mix of harmonious tunes paired with nimble, energetic dancers. They moved as one with the music, so much so that Sara became convinced that the music and dance couldn’t possibly exist without each other.

  When the last note had been played, the dancers exited the stage. Sara smiled and sighed. “Wow. That was amazing.” She looked at Xanthus.

  The smile on his face didn’t diminish the intensity of his gaze as he looked into her eyes. “Yes, it was.”

  In that moment, she felt as if they were the only two people in the concert hall, and she very much wanted to kiss him. From the look he was giving her, he was thinking the same thing. His hand brushed feathery soft against her cheek.

  A spike of adrenaline sent icy shoots through Sara’s bloodstream. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a woman stumble on the balcony and sway backward, teetering over the railing high above. Sara turned her head in shock, knowing she was about to see a woman fall to her death.

  Xanthus uttered a low oath and raised his hand toward the poor woman just before she fell. Sara felt a concussion of energy coming from him, almost like an intense banging of a large drum, but with no sound. The woman looked as if she were being shoved from behind, which of course was impossible since there was nothing behind her but open air. Still, she pitched forward into the arms of a man who was reaching for her. They both fell into the crowd of spectators.

  “How did you do that?” Sara’s voice rasped in a low whisper.

  “I did nothing,” Xanthus said, low and hard, suggesting there would be no argument.

  “But I felt…”

  “I did nothing, Sara.”

  She felt tears burning in her eyes. He’d put on a hard mask and she could tell he was furious. She wasn’t sure if he was furious with her or himself, but it was there all the same. She held back the tears, not wanting to humiliate herself.

  The ride home was miserable. He didn’t say a word as tension rolled off him in waves. All she wanted was to get home and in bed so she could vent her hurt and disappointment into her pillow.

  Xanthus acted as if he wanted nothing more than to be rid of her. He got her wheelchair from the back and lifted her into it. He strode ahead of her to the front door as she wheeled after him. Xanthus opened the door for her to pass through, which she did. She hurried, knowing the tears were coming. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

  “Don’t forget to keep your windows and doors locked. And be sure to set your alarm,” he said before closing the door.

  Sara couldn’t believe him. So that was it? At the end of what started out as the perfect date, she got no goodbye, no kiss, and no I’ll call you—just a cold shoulder.

  She narrowed her eyes and straightened her spine. “Actually, I think I’ll go out,” she said to herself as she made her way to her apartment. “Maybe I’ll see the
night life in my neighborhood. Then perhaps I’ll sleep under the stars tonight. I could invite some neighbors, like Slink to join me.” She got to her door and fished out her keys. How dare he act as if she had done something wrong! She’d done nothing.

  That night was a long one. Sara’s mind raced as the moon crept across the night sky. She bounced between anger and hurt. She was also mystified at what exactly had happened at the concert hall. Had Xanthus saved that woman? What kind of person has that power? And if he does, who is he? What is he? Where does someone like him come from?