A village snared with hive-brain controlled by an ancient queen faces an evil beast who is said to devour the hearts of maidens.or so the rumor goes. Zaklina hoards stories to give her comfort in a lonely existence, even after she travels to distant Miódshire to care for her pregnant sister. Upon arriving in the village, Zaklina meets the town's wisewoman, Mrs. Staryski, who warns Zaklina about the local meadow and the ageless monster who roams the forests beyond it. But when rot and decay descend upon Miódshire and all begin to mindlessly starve, Zaklina is certain there is something far more sinister living among the townfolk. She offers herself to the monster, a Gargoyle-creature who takes her to his crumbling castle. It is a place filled with a fickle magic that strips Zaklina of her stories.

She is not certain she escaped a far worse doom in Miódshire, until the Gargoyle asks for her help-if she can abide the unwritten rules and spend seven nights in the castle. As the horrors unfold each sunset, Zaklina must fight to survive demons and terrors without her memories to help her. While she shields her aching heart, she slowly discovers the Gargoyle is more ancient and powerful than anyone could imagine.