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 shrugged and cut a sliver of it. It tasted delicious. He blinked in surprise.


Bel laughed at his expression. “The body knows what it needs. You need this, so it is good to you. We will know your blood has recovered when you start disliking the flavor once more.”


“Heh. I guess so.” Oisin cleaned the plate in short order, while Bel sat down on the bed and kept him company. When Oisin was done he came and sat beside Bel. He noticed he was still wearing the sun amulet. Oisin reached out and touched it where it lay against Bel’s chest. “I need to have that back to finish it, you know. It probably doesn’t do anything at all right now, I’d only put the words on it in chalk.”


Bel pulled the amulet off over his head and held it out to Oisin. “Here, then. And…Thank you. For the amulet. For my life. For everything.”


Oisin took the amulet. It no longer contained any trace of power. “What else could I do?”


Chapter 42