The Transformation of Anna Sneak Peek #4

I’m counting down the days until The Transformation of Anna is release on September 30^th and I’m posting sneak peeks along the way to whet your appetite! Here’s…

Sneak Peek #4

Cole reached for the stout record keeper and passed a finger over the cleft. The picture of his love appeared in a flame.

James lowered his gaze. “Mianna.”

Swallowing the swell in his throat, Cole looked at the cherubic face. “James, I never considered what I did last night an option either.” As he looked at his brother, he sent his thought’s voice to reinforce his spoken words. “I didn’t intentionally seal that spell.”

James’ brow tightened.

“When she looked at me, I felt her soul call to me and I went to her. I didn’t inhale the spell to seal it with a kiss. I took a breath to relieve the intense...” he lifted his hand, trying to find the right words. How could he explain the innate connection, the call of a familiar soul to another in a realm known to have no rebirth?

He shook his head and picked up the Vignette. “I kissed her, James. And when I did—Gods, I didn’t want to stop. We shared a reath of Zephyrus, and it wasn’t like anything I’ve experienced since…”

“Mianna.”

Cole dragged his hand across his face and then looked James squarely in the eyes. “Take a close look at Mianna’s picture.”

James leaned over the desk and studied the innocent features of his past sister-in-law. He sighed and looked back at Cole.

“Now, look at the girl we just harvested.” He passed a hand over the sleeping image and the scene in the alley appeared. Motioning with his index finger, he singled out Anna as she looked at him before the kiss.

James’ features softened, but he met Cole with a resolute gaze. “No. That wasn’t Mianna, Cole. You know that’s not Mianna.”

“No, James, I don’t know.” Cole shot to a stand and rubbed a hand across his chest. Hearing his contemplations aloud set anxiety in his heart and seemed to solidify the truth. He paced to the far end of the room, trying to settle the knots in his stomach. “I watched her all night. There are similarities. Things only she did, things so deeply ingrained that they’re instinctive.”

James stood and met him at the picture window. His head leaned to the side, compassion seeping from his emotions. “Cole, people do a lot of things similarly.”

He allowed his heavy tone to accentuate his words. “Not these things.” He marched back to the desk. “I’m not talking about how a woman tosses her hair or scratches her nose.”

Miss the previous peeks? Here are the quick links! 

#1
#2
#3

Come back by to catch another snippet.  See you then!

*The Transformation of Anna is the first book in the Cornerstone Deep series. It was previously published under the title Cornerstone Deep. When rights were reverted to me, I revised, re-edited, and renamed it to flow better with the direction the series is taking.