The city of Dolana has kept itself free from demonic rule at a high cost: interrogating and spying on its own citizens and reporting suspicious activity to the Inquisition. As an innkeeper, Pelerin does his part—after all, he lost his beloved wife to demons, leaving him to raise their son on his own.

When his now-adult son starts to question what Pel has done to keep them safe, he begins to re-examine the past. And when a stranger comes to stay at his inn, the three of them (and one cat) are drawn into a chain of events that force Pel to confront where his priorities truly lie.

A queer fantasy dystopian M/NB enemies-to-lovers story. Pel wants nothing more than to keep his son safe from demons, but when a stranger comes to town, Pel realizes he might need a demon to help keep his son safe from humans.