Kochin is a heartsooth—a rare being with the ability to heal any wound... except death. Intent on defying nature and bringing Nhika back to life, Kochin keeps her body in a life-preserving casket and waits for a miracle. Stricken with grief and descending into madness, Kochin realizes the answer to his desperate quest can only lie in one place: the lush yet battle-ridden island the first heartsooths called home.