The faerie war has devastated the world, and what little remains of humanity lives underground as vampires. Kara is a half-blood. Her mother was human, but her father was not. She works as a hostess in one of the many pleasure dens of Nocturne, a vampire nest in a catacomb. Earning her blood one night at a time, Kara lives as peacefully as she can in a dying world. For decades her life has been the same... until she meets a stranger who may be able to grant her fondest wish--to be human. But nothing comes free in this brutal world, and when the faeries come knocking on the door she must choose between saving the life of a stranger or protecting her own secret. Lucien is a powerful telepath and a pureblood vampire, meaning he was born as one. He's never seen the sun. On a mission from his queen, he travels to the city of the undead, Nocturne, territory of a different vampire clan. When betrayal turns a negotiation deadly, he finds an unlikely guardian in a den hostess. But can their fledgling bond survive when he learns that she's the enemy?