When Canis Rayne is unwillingly sent to collect a Scourge sample—a parasitic horde—from beyond the city walls to further his master's experiments, he becomes a vessel through which they attack the city. His insane master, Mortalo, is killed by the Scourge, and they conspire to dominate Canis and turn him into the dead tyrant. He must rely on his brother, Vann Xan, and their friend, Beatrix Thorne, to keep his mind from collapsing.
To stand against the enemy means the sacrifice of his body, brother, and life. Canis becomes one with the parasite inside him; a destructive force of clouded allegiance that even his closest friends conspire to destroy.