A Sliver of Power

I stared at Kaan, stunned and unable to utter a word for a handful of heartbeats. “A… blood spell?” I finally choked out.

He chuckled and nodded. “Jalissa told me about it, seeking an ally in me. She still fears Nathair could take the armies away from her. Clearly, she cannot be certain whether she and Nathair share the same blood or not. She didn't want to risk it, so I doubt that Nathair even knows about the spell. Perhaps he is convinced that the warriors simply chose to serve her instead of pledging loyalty to him.”

My brows knitted. “So their loyalty is... forced?”

Kaan gave me a crooked smile. “I guess it wasn't at first. From what I heard, when Jalissa's mother—and yours, I guess—decided to cast a spell, warriors swore a blood oath willingly. The only problem was that they swore it to your mother and Alpha Vardan, not Jalissa. She merely inherited the army since she was the only one who could claim the leadership... until now.”

An uneven breath filled my lungs. “You truly think