Orpheus is an ancient vampire and former celebrated novelist who dwells in a decaying manor filled with unfinished manuscripts from his lost humanity. Unlike most vampires, he feeds primarily on creative energy and emotions rather than blood, a supernatural hunger that has left him weakened after three weeks without sustenance. For generations, the aristocratic Kreiburg family has maintained a blood contract with his line: every decade, one family member must serve as his companion for ten years, living in the manor and providing the emotional sustenance he needs to survive. The latest sacrifice is Frederick Kreiburg, a disgraced composer sent by a family that considers him worthless. Frederick arrives with open hostility and a declaration of war: he will give Orpheus nothing—no passion, no emotion, no cooperation. Just cold, mechanical resistance designed to starve the vampire into oblivion. With ten years stretched before them, survival on the line, and neither able to escape, the only question is how far Orpheus will go to break through Frederick's defenses.