Guls can be brutal. Few people know this better than Ariadne, who lost half her body to their appetites, but she finds their brutality a predictable constant amid the political chaos of Brazil. Now she treats them in the specialized clinic she inherited from Erik Yurkov-the mentor who rescued her from captivity as a child, trained her in medicine, built her prostheses, and then disappeared without a trace.

Ariadne's routine is disturbed when a dapper gul covered in tattoos knocks on her door, introducing himself as Quaint and claiming to be Erik's oldest friend. As unsettling as the presence of a healthy adult gul can be, there is something familiar-almost intimate-about him. Quaint suspects foul play in Erik's disappearance, and his suspicion proves real when they discover Erik sought asylum at Cabare, an infamous club in Rio de Janeiro frequented by the gul elite.

Together, Ariadne and Quaint will unravel the conspiracy behind their friend's disappearance, navigate the labyrinthine world of Ariadne's memories, and discover what Erik means to them-and what they are starting to mean to each other.