A Reborn Bride Pearl Emerging from Dust by Sally Garcia

"Who the heck are you guys, anyway?"

The folks from Ivory Town eyed Calliope and Silas with open suspicion, arms crossed and brows furrowed. Nobody here was looking to make friends.

"They're not tourists, are they?"

"Tourists don't get a say around here, that's for sure!"

"Yeah, Neil, look at that kid from your town. He's barely hanging on. You're just gonna stand there and do nothing? If he kicks the bucket, that's not our problem!"

"If you want him back, then prove it. Show us you mean business!"

Everyone was talking at once, voices loud and sharp, all of it aimed at the Oxcreek Town folks gathered on the other side.

"I'm not a tourist," Calliope replied icily, her gaze cutting through the crowd. "I'm from Oxcreek, same as you all are from here." She glared at the Ivory Town group. "Let me be clear: there's no way we're agreeing to your terms. And if you're not handing him over, well, we'll just take him back ourselves."

"Take him from us?" someone scoffed, rolling their eyes. "You think you can? Oxcreek Town has never been able to stand up to us, and you know it.”

Town jeered, their younger men looking ready for a tussle. It

leader. "Isaiah, come on, we can talk

far! Maybe

enough to slice with a knife. Oxcreek's people were already halfway to giving in, realizing they'd lose if things got ugly. Nobody wanted a fight,

Silas following right behind her. As they closed the distance, a strange hush fell. Even the rowdiest Ivory Town boys felt a chill run down their

low and cold. "And I won't hold a grudge. Refuse, and I promise, none of your homes will sleep

rippled

you're tough, kid? Word of advice: stay out of things that don't

concern me," Calliope

any more words and

he could even get his hands up,

pain, dropping to his

"What the hell?!"

What are you