Autumn Rivers Novels & Stories

"Aria, I don't want you to die. Please..." Her crying made my chest ache. My previously resigned acceptance began to waver. But what choice did I have? "Violet, marrying the river god is the fate of every woman in our village. There's no escaping it." Our village was called Riverbend, built along the water's edge. Legend said an ancient river god dwelled in its depths. To ensure good weather and abundant harvests, every 15th of the month, the village selected a young woman, dressed her in red, and sent her into the river to consummate a union with the god. The village called this the offering.

“Not quite. The eastern regions use water from the Delmere River. Only about a third of the population draws from Vinterfall, mostly those in the west and central areas. Still, Vinterfall eventually merges into the Delmere.” Lyra grew quiet, the suspicion in her mind sharpening. “Take me to the source.” Raven had just stepped out from the tents after checking on the patients. Hearing her request, he asked, “Where are you all going?” Callen explained briefly. Upon understanding, Raven immediately ordered, “Then what are we waiting for? Do as Luna commands.” The group left the quarantine area, following narrow paths covered in moss and shaded by thick forest canopies. After nearly an hour on h

Suddenly, they emerged from the trees, and a breathtaking sight unfolded before them. A crystal-clear river flowed effortlessly, its surface reflecting the sky above. The water cascaded over smooth rocks, creating a soothing melody. "Wow," Tristan breathed. "This is stunning." Lucien nodded, his eyes shining with pride. "Welcome to the River's Edge, the lifeblood of Dominion Pack. We're close now." Tristan walked towards the river's edge, feeling the cool mist on his skin. "I can see why this place is special. It's like a sanctuary."

We can evade him. The river sings to me as we approach it, so near it almost changes the rhythm of my heart. More howls pierce the night. Two left, one right. I loop one arm around Finn’s neck and throw the other out toward the river. Water splashes like sprinting footsteps between the two groups. The howls coagulate there. I wish I had the strength to reorient the current; though the Tansy River is only a tributary of the thundering Grayhead River Mother declared the border between the kingdoms, we have lost more than a few lives to its power. It’s all I can do to quiet Finn’s first plunge into the rapids.

Ryan There’s a river that runs through the Deadlands. The same river that splits Eastonia in two. On the other side, mountains hug the horizon, blurring the view of Tarsian beyond. In the Deadlands, the river is… wide, but still. A large, lumbering stretch of clear water that weaves through the plains. Here, in the Roguelands, in what used to be a city called Twin Rivers, now nothing but a husk of what it was twenty or so years ago when Ryatt and Ella were young, that same river is angry and narrow, full of rapids and rock.

She didn’t have destiny in the palm of her hand. “You have to talk to him sis” Ryan advised while he patted her back, “ he is drowning himself in alcohol which is not good for him” Aurora immediately disengaged from her brother, “Where is he?” “We met at a bar downtown” Ryan shrugged while she glared daggers at him. “You go to bars now?” “Oh please” he scoffed and continued, “I only went there for my brother in law” he added the last part to make her cheer up a little which actually did.

VOLUME TWO: BENEDICTION Ribs screaming in agony, blood dripping from her nose and lip, and her right eye swollen almost shut, Amy Tarcher stumbled through the Cattenach Ranch iron gate onto her best friend's property. Her legs cramped, barely holding her up, and the vertigo was screwing with her balance. Loose gravel over the brick-laid driveway grated under her shuffling flip-flops, but they were all she'd been able to manage when she'd fled home.

She croaked and began to wail. “Come on, baby. She’s okay. She’ll be okay, I promise.” He retorted. ___________ River happened to stumble in a bar when she became thirsty. She had been walking around taking pictures of wooden sculptures of creatures and human figures for a good hour and a half. She had already fallen in love with the small town and the breeze that flowed at night. Even during the day, it didn’t feel as hot and humid as in Texas. It was the opposite.

Rowan's words shattered my heart completely. I let out a bitter laugh, turned, and walked away without looking back. Someone once told me that promises were the most useless things in the world—what mattered was action. I never believed it before, but now, I did. I took a cab to the Rivers, planning to see Patrick and leave after that. Halfway there, I received a video call from Jeremy Harding. "Angela, look at the tulips by the side of the road—they're so beautiful. Coriland is amazing. Are you really not coming back?"