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’s no trouble.” The young man got to his feet and gave them a little nod, then strode off along a faint path that ringed the hill with a wave.


“Well, get up and see if it hurts,” said the girl, and her companion made a face at her, but rose.


He stood, shifting his weight back and forth for a while. “Huh. It doesn’t even hurt at all. Maybe just a little. That’s weird. I was sure I’d at least sprained it pretty bad.”


“Really? I guess you were very lucky, then.”


“Yeah. But come on, I want to look at the rest of the stones. There’s a path here, I think it goes all the way around the hill.”


Chapter 78