He moved in close and arched over me while he spoke. I have to beat the blizzard.”īefore I could break into a sprint, the Guard whirled me around. The Guard led me forward until I broke from my daze. His gentle hold of my hand gave me comfort and lulled me into a hypnotic state. “ Come with me,” the masculine timbre commanded over my shoulder before lacing his fingers in mine. I was stuck in the Collective with nowhere to go and, worse, nowhere to hide. I stood, motionless, while bodies spun and twirled on the periphery of my consciousness. Conditions would be impossible: no visibility, forty-foot snowdrifts, and gale-force winds. “ What is it? Where are they going?” I asked no one in particular. In the blink of an eye, the entire population of the Path turned to the entrance and moved hurriedly, as if they were trying to contain a generalized franticness. Every transaction halted and everyone held their breath for a split second, merchants and traders alike. I neared the clear walkway of the Trade Path just as a shrill alarm sounded. My steps were measured and controlled as I backed away from the Guard. I placed my hand over his, unlatching his fingers one at a time from the tender inside of my bicep. “You won’t get far enough if you don’t get out now.” You want to be free, don’t you? Then go.” His authoritative facade crumbled and the innocent hurt of a young boy dripped from his soul as he spoke.

The sting of my insult was evident in the painful expression that settled on his face. I wanted to snatch them back and swallow them down again. “ You…you’re a…sympathizer.” It sounded dirty as the words passed between my lips. Will Beckett be true to his word and set Cressenda free? Will her heart let her leave after all they’ve shared? His desperate need to help Cressenda escape both the blizzard and the Affinity, makes her feelings for him all the more troubling. When a routine trip to civilization takes a turn for the worst, Cressenda is forced to take refuge with the enemy or lose her life to the frozen countryside.īut Beckett, a Guard of the Affinity, is more than a man in uniform. With her sled dogs as her only companions, she’s spent the past ten years hiding in the snow covered wilderness from the oppressive regime of the Affinity. Can love conquer all?Ĭressenda knows how to survive.

Frozen Heart by Annabelle Blume