Vampire Ishmael Valen does not wish to find love again. He is content with the comforting memories of the one he lost centuries ago, while leading a carefully balanced life as the head of a council of benevolent monsters, and raising his adopted, mortal nine-year-old son, Alaric. But when the vague shapes his son sees begin to manifest as spiritual mediumship powers, and Alaric is expelled for accidentally channeling a spirit in his classroom, Ishmael hires a home tutor, Edric O’Moore, who feels far more familiar than he should. Living together in the manor, late-night talks, and pondside walks begin to blossom into a romance that battles with Ishmael’s guilt about loving another, a second heart beating in Edric’s chest, and the growing curiosity of his council regarding both their relationship and Alaric’s abilities. In a world that has been dark for ages, Ishmael can finally feel the sun again—and he will not lose a love for a second time.