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 kissed him back with equal conviction, and when he spoke again there was no fear in his voice, only love. “I will always love you too, Oisin, my little deer. Four thousand years hence, and beyond.”12


Summer sun shone brightly down over the grassy hill from a cloudless sky, marred only by the white streak of a jet contrail far above. Birds sang, and trees rustled in a gentle breeze. It was a glorious, beautiful day. In the distance the whoosh and hum of cars passing was just quiet enough to not really interrupt the peaceful, pastoral scene.


There was no village at the base of the hill, but a road led to a small gravel parking area there, laden with signs about the history and significance of the hill with its crown of worn stone teeth. A small bus pulled in, and a gaggle of tourists spilled out of it. A guide wrangled them together for a moment, but then let them begin streaming up the path that wound up and around the hill at their own pace.


Chapter 77