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

He reached into his potion case, taking out a bottle of sovereign specific and the little container of ointment. Speaking very softly, under his breath, he recited the poem, a variation on a healing spell he’d already made, and dripped a drop of the potion into each eye. Then he recited it again as he dabbed the ointment on each eyelid.


He felt something strange as he worked. He was used to the feel of his focused will by now, to the strength of his power. But there was something new in it suddenly, something more.


Chapter 69