For years now the harvest has been less than it should be. Last year the people of Oisin's village sacrificed a goat, but their god did not come. Now, in desperation, a human sacrifice has been suggested, and Oisin, recently orphaned and feeling life is not worth living, volunteers. But the god Belinos is not quite what he seems, and Oisin's sacrifice will not be what he expects, for Belinos first came out of the darkness to drink the sacrificial blood not because he was a god, but because he was a vampire. This is just the beginning of the changes to Oisin's life, as he is drawn further and further into a world of gods and magic, where the most unexpected thing is not even his own blossoming talent, but the blossoming feelings he has for Belinos. Love between mortal and immortal is not without its difficulties, though. As outright war among the gods threatens, Oisin will end up making a far greater difference in the conflict than he could ever have dreamed possible.

The Sacrifice

Oisin ate, and climbed into bed, and his exhaustion dragged him down to sleep almost immediately, but the last thing that lingered in his mind was not the work he’d done, but the feeling of Bel’s touch on his shoulder.


“I think this is it, sir.” Oisin looked at the bowl in front of him.


“Try it and see, then,” said Bel, standing by the door, looking intently at Oisin.


Oisin nodded and dipped his fingers in the bowl. He closed his eyes, dabbing each lid lightly, then opened them again. He looked up at Bel and gasped softly. The tall god had been backed by a blurry glow of indistinct light and shadow, but now he was wrapped in a glorious corona of shimmering silver light, twisted with deep shadows that held blood-red hearts. Light and dark formed an intricate pattern that haloed his head and fanned out behind him like angel’s wings.


“You’re beautiful,” said Oisin breathlessly, without even thinking.


Chapter 12