Autumn Promise Novels & Stories

Don't let a kid's promise hold you back. I kept silent as Allie's soft words slowly sunk in. I didn't want to admit it, but she was right. I was just afraid to let go of the one thing that I'd been holding on as a hope that he'd come for me. I feared that if I let go of this promise, there would be no ties between us, every moment we spent would be vanished in thin air, like it never happened in the first place.

I was going to find a computer and change my college application. “Oh, right, I almost forgot. Tomorrow is the deadline for college applications.” Luke covered his mouth, feigning surprise. “Zephyr, you aren’t planning on going to an internet cafe to change your application, are you?” My heart sank. Eula looked at me with an unexpectedly dark expression. “Lock him in the basement.” She gave concise orders to the two lackeys by her side. The basement of my house was dark and damp. It never saw the light of day.

The sound of rain swallowed her words, carrying them into the night — a quiet promise, and a warning. The dawn would come again. And this time, it wouldn’t break her. It would break them.

His expression was unreadable, but his jaw was set too tightly. “They are drafting something,” he said at last. Her pulse quickened. “What kind of something?” “I do not know,” he admitted. “No seals yet. No proclamations. But the phrase keeps repeating.” She did not ask him to say it. Temporary measures. That night, sleep came fitfully. She dreamed of ash falling like snow, settling over loaves of bread before they could be broken, turning sustenance into symbol. Each time she reached for one, it crumbled into dust beneath her fingers.

Stephen's hands were full. "I'm being abused. This is abuse," he complained, looking like he was betrayed. "It's called shopping!" Autumn yelled. "Your husband owes me, big time," he whispered, playfully glaring at me. "What did he promise you to agree to this?" I asked. "He promised to make me a statue, but I think that's not enough." he shrugged, and I gasped, shaking my head. For lunch, we sat at the outdoor restaurant. Summer was bragging about her jewelry while Autumn ordered dessert for us. I did well to come, and for the first time, the ache in my chest had lessened.

Invisible. The stream glittered in the soft orange of the setting sun. A breeze whispered through the tall grasses, carrying the smell of damp earth and woodsmoke from nearby kitchens. Promise crouched low, dipped her pot into the water, and watched ripples distort her reflection. The girl staring back at her had wide, restless eyes and braids that clung to her damp forehead. To the village, she was just another daughter waiting to be married off. But in her reflection, Promise saw more. She saw a woman walking a runway, lights flashing, heads turning, voices chanting her name. She saw freedom stitched into sequins and dreams that stretched beyond the horizon.

The clouds parted overhead, revealing a few scattered stars. One shone particularly bright. Chase looked at it, lost in thought. "Ever read The Princess and the Frog?" My mind was blank. "What?" "There was this firefly crazy about a star," he explained. "And he named it Evangeline." I nodded dumbly. "Yeah, and then?" Along the shore, the waves had frozen in place, forming undulating layers of white. New surges shoved fresh snow forward in a rhythmic dance. "Nora," he murmured.

He explained and they listened attentively. “What forbidden promise do you guys have?” Adrian asked. Amana was not able to use her promise and was not able to determine what kind of promise they have. “I have the strengthening promise and my husband has the killing promise where he can kill someone else’s promise and I can make someone else’s promise stronger.” Caselyn stated. They asked them questions and found out things that the academy is hiding. They also found out that outsiders used to be promise users but they can't remember anything about promises because of the poison that was planted inside of them by the higher ups.

You promised" "He doesn't deserve you, princess. Let him go" "I can't. I love him and we promised to be together forever" "Promises are meant to be broken, Princess." "But..... But if I let him go then I'll be all alone." "You've never been alone Princess. I'm here" "But I can't even see you" "That is because you don't want to see me. Open your eyes and look at me. Really look"

"You still have time to play your cards right," Greed had told her two weeks earlier with a firmness that sounded more like an order as he placed the contract in front of her. Lizzy held Greed's shrewd gaze and breathed deeply, looking worried. "It's a tempting offer, sir, I admit. But I also know that in your world, things can turn dangerous quickly. That's why I need assurances that I'll be safe and won't be dragged into bigger problems in the future," Lizzy replied with suspicion. "If I can have that, then maybe we can have a deal."