Book excerpt: Rhiann, an Alban priestess and princess, submits to a marriage of political necessity to Eremon, an exiled Irish prince. Out of duty grows a powerful and desperate love that will bind them together through conflict and betrayal. As Rhiann searches for guidance in the spirit world, little realizing how big a part she will play in this endgame, Eremon knows only that he must risk and sacrifice many lives, perhaps even his own. The second book in the epic Dalriada trilogy, The Dawn Stag spans three centuries and spectacularly recreates Celtic Britain at the momentous time of the Roman invasion.