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 nearly went to his knees as a rush of trembling relief went through him. He had faced down a god. He had gotten used to Bel, but he was suddenly reminded of how strange and fearful a god could be. Though he knew Alitius had spoken at least a partial truth. Bel himself had said he was something other than human. Oisin had seen some evidence of that. Alitius and Rhianna both seemed more human than Bel in certain small ways. They both had rounded ears and were neither so tall nor so pale. And Alitius had no fangs. Given how he’d snarled and spat Oisin had gotten a very firm confirmation of that. Rhianna’s dangerous grin had lacked fangs also.


Oisin frowned faintly as he turned and began slowly retracing his path. The just-passed encounter was very puzzling. Why had Alitius wanted to warn him? He felt a strange, twisting uncertainty in his gut. Alitius had to be wrong that Bel hungered for him, didn’t he?


Chapter 19