Free Blood of Centaurs: Book 12 of The Witch Fairy Series by Bonnie Lamer

soon as our skin makes contact, a searing light explodes behind my eyes.  I’m bombarded with emotions that are not my own as I race down a dark tunnel. 
    Kono Nakani is not here to make peace.  She wants war.  She wants war right down to the bottom of her soul.  This is what she lives for and the idea that she is forced to come here an d bargain for peace kills her.  She will do whatever it takes to sabotage the Sasquatch King’s attempts at peace making without exposing her true desires.
    “Xandra, why are your eyes glowing?” Zac asks, bringing me back to reality. 
    I drop the Sasquatch’s hand and take a step back.  I somehow know that only a fraction of a second passed as I stared into the depths of her soul, but it felt like an eternity.  I saw her darkest secret but she doesn’t seem to know this.  How could she not have felt me inside her mind?
    Stepping forward before the Sasquatch can ask the same question, Kallen says, “Rest assured, we have not been swayed by the Centaurs.  We are still neutral in our opinions regarding both of your needs.  If you would like to meet again before meeting with the Centaurs, we can arrange that for the morning.  For now, please excuse us as we prepare for the reception.”  As he speaks, he is herding the Sasquatch out the door.  Once he can, he closes it behind them. 
    Turning back to me, Kallen asks, “What the hell just happened?”

8           
     
    “Do you need to sit down?” Dagda asks, taking my arm and steering me toward the leather couch. 
    “Was that Angel light?” Zac asks.
    “Xandra, Love, are you alright?” Kallen asks, joining me on the couch. 
    I hold my hand up hoping to stop the chatter.  “Just give me a minute,” I say, noticing how my hand is shaking.   Finally, after several deep breaths that do nothing to alleviate the tingling up and down my spine, I try to explain.  “I think I saw her deepest, darkest secret.”  Then again, maybe it’s not a secret?  Maybe my lie detecting is able to pick up lies before they’re told.  I groan at the thought.
    “What do you mean?” Kallen asks.  He takes my shaking hand in his.
    “When I touched her.  It felt like I was inside her looking at the deepest, darkest recesses of her soul.  She wants war and she’s going to sabotage the peace talks.”
    Scowling, Garren says, “That makes sense.  She is the Supreme Commander of their army.  How could that be her darkest secret?” 
    Dagda gives him a look only a King can give.  “If you had studied the information I gave you, you would know that the Supreme Commander is the one who convinced the Sasquatch King to come to this symposium.”
    “Xandra,” Tana says softly, “What do you mean when you say you were inside her.  Was it like the birdcage?”  As she speaks color rises up her neck to her cheeks.  She is referring to the time she was in my head and convinced me I was in a giant birdcage.  She was evil at the time and trying to convince me I was crazy.  I’ve forgiven her for that.
    I shake my head.  “No, it was different.”  I think for a moment.  “The only thing I can compare it to is when I glimpsed Tabitha’s power to detect souls.  But I couldn’t see her whole soul.  I could only see this one little bit of information that was buried deep in her psyche.  And the weird thing is, she didn’t seem to know I was seeing it.”
    Brows scrunched together, Kallen asks carefully, “Do you think you could be projecting your opinion of the Sasquatch onto her.  Could it have been your emotions you were feeling?”
    I want to be upset with him for asking me this because it makes me sound stupid, but it does seem plausible.  Were they my emotions?  I consider this for several long minutes.  I appreciate that no one interrupts my concentration by asking me more questions.
    I don’t believe the Sasquatch want peace.  I have repeatedly questioned why they agreed to try to compromise when