Nathan died in the summer before his final year in high school, leaving behind a mother who was devoted to him and a girlfriend he loved. His mother and his girlfriend, Emma, are still alive; Nathan is not. But he wakes in his room#151;or in the shrine his mother’s made of his room#151;confused, cold, and unable to interact with anyone or anything he sees. The only clear memory he has is a dream of a shining city, and its glorious queen, but the dream fades, until he once again meets Emma#151;by the side of his own grave. Nathan wants life. He wants Emma. He wants warmth, sensation, a sleep that doesn’t leave him confused and aching. But the cost, to Emma, will be incalculably high#151;because Emma just might be able to give him what he wants.