The monster in his nightmares calls him friend, but Anthony Luther wants nothing to do with the Man-in-the-Dark, wishing only to disappear into the small town of Heckhaven, TN. Unfortunately for him, that town has a long memory and it remembers he caused a fire that killed one of their own. Ten years later Anthony learns that sharing a drink with someone in the abyss of the afterlife is more than it seems.
His best friend, Dezeray Lilet is able to overlook his past transgressions making life in the small town bearable, until another fire threatens to unravel his happiness. Already marked by the first fire Anthony doesn't think he'll be able to overcome a second. To make matters worse Dezeray has hidden her past from herself as a coping mechanism, but when Anthony's past resurfaces her own skeletons are pulled from the cobwebs of her mind unleashing her personal demons into the pot of chaos brewing.
All comes to a head when a demon crashes a graduation party and tips the pot flooding the town of Heckhaven with violence. Only then is a reluctant group of angels called Sciathan Zaldune dispatched to watch over Anthony, at least until the secrets of his past and his connection to the Man-in-the-Dark can be explained. Caught in an ancient struggle between good and evil Anthony finds himself forced to side against humanity to save himself and his few friends.