Tragedy has struck the Kestrel, a merchant's ship in the middle of a long voyage. A deadly battle against a blood-sucking monster has left the ship desolate with only two survivors: a single crew member, and a single passenger.
Cort knows he's not human anymore. He's not sure exactly what he is now but he knows that every night he takes a bullet to the head, and every morning he wakes back up again, physically unscathed.
Carmen isn't sure what Cort is, either. She just knows that he's dangerous and she's not taking any chances. She has a system-a brutal one. No amount of begging from the creature in the brig is going to get through to her.
But as time ticks on with no rescue in sight, Cort's hunger grows, and Carmen's resolve begins to fade ...