When Athos's High School friend Allan reappears after a decade out of touch, holding a mysterious book sent by a stranger claiming to know them both, the gray fox-laid off and dreading an impending move to the suburbs-jumps at the chance to investigate. After all, his girlfriend Meg has had supernatural adventures, and so have her friends, but Athos hasn't. The more he and Allan learn about the book, the more its power touches their lives, and the allure of its promise grows. Meg thinks it's a deadly trap; Allan thinks it's salvation. Athos, caught in the middle, is forced to decide what price he will pay for the experience he's longed for his whole life. But before he can answer, the book's grip on him tightens, drawing him into its world and out of this one. Now the question is whether he can save himself, let alone Allan, before the book's promise-or curse-is fulfilled.