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

Bel’s lips were cool, as all of him always was, but there was a warmth in his kiss all the same, and Oisin felt an undeniable heat stirring in himself from it. He didn’t know if Bel felt the same, but he did know that there was an intensity, a passion, that seemed to match his own in Bel’s kiss.


When they finally broke apart, Oisin said, “How was my first lesson?”


Bel stroked his hair tenderly, still holding him close, and replied, “It was most informative.”7


“Hmm?” Bel looked up from his book. Oisin was sitting at a desk in the library rather than reading, as he had been copying one of his spells from his notes into his own personal spell book. They spent much of their time together now, finding ways to go about their various tasks in each other’s company.


Chapter 43