Year One

Ross MacLeod, a 64-year-old New Yorker, is spending the holidays in Dumfries, Scotland, with his twin brother, Rob MacLeod; his cousin Hugh; and their families. While pheasant hunting near a stone circle and childhood haunt called the sgiath de solas, Ross kills a bird that falls inside the stone circle. Blood soaks into the ground, recalling a teenage memory when Ross cut his hand there and felt something dark stir. Now, the blood seems to crack an ancient shield.

That night, the family celebrates New Year’s Eve. At midnight, the front door blows open. Ross steps outside and senses an ominous presence. Their neighbor, Mrs. Frazier, grips his hand and warns him that protections have been broken. She claims that a war between light and dark has awakened and that his grave will be the first. Shaken, Ross drinks heavily and goes to bed.

On New Year’s Day, Ross wakes hungover and ill. Walking with Hugh’s dog unsettles him further, as the generally good-natured dog growls and snarls at the stone circle. When Ross’s health improves enough to travel., he and his wife, Angie, return to New York, while Rob and his wife, Jayne, fly to London, England.