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

“Where—” Caydren shook his head. “No, I guess I know where you’ve been. What have you been doing all this time?”


Oisin finally burst out with it, unable to hold back the question, or keep his tone from being accusing. “Where have youbeen? You weren’t there that night. You weren’t there before either! My father died, and you just left me!”


Caydren blinked at him, looking baffled. “I…I’m sorry. I couldn’t go and watch you die, I just couldn’t. And before that, I didn’t know what to do, what to say. I thought you might need space to mourn alone. I didn’t want to intrude. I’m sorry.”


“Oh.” Oisin felt the tension go out of him, and his cheeks colored faintly in embarrassment. Of course Caydren wouldn’t have wanted to be there when he’d volunteered to die. “I’m sorry too.”


“It’s all right. Everything is all right. You’re alive! And you’ve been living with the god? You have to tell me what it’s like!” He dropped down to the shady rock and looked up at Oisin, beaming.


Chapter 23