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

It proved to be an imperfect solution, as the guiding wisp took a straight course, heedless of trees, bramble patches, and sapling thickets, but Oisin managed to keep it in sight, and eventually he caught a glimpse of the hill with Bel’s palace atop it. Just then he heard something else moving through the underbrush. He tensed, then smiled as he caught a glimpse of dark robes and long silver hair. “Bel,” he called out, and Bel turned to him, looking surprised.


“Once again you prove yourself capable,” he said as he approached. “I was about to seek you out, to apologize for leaving you lost in the wood, but it seems you were not lost at all.”


Oisin shrugged. “It wasn’t too hard to figure out how to get home. But…” He hesitated, trying to figure out what else to say.


“I still owe you an apology. I should not have simply run away.”


“I understand the impulse to flee from something difficult,” Oisin said gently.


Chapter 46