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 wasn't a

"Isaiah, come on, we can talk this

way too far! Maybe we can discuss these conditions,

to slice with a knife. Oxcreek's people were already halfway to giving

herself up, eyebrows knit into a scowl, and strode forward, 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

cold. "And I won't hold a grudge. Refuse, and I promise,

rippled

of advice: stay out of things

concern me," Calliope shot back.

any

path. But before he could

pain, dropping

"What the hell?!"

What are