Dr. Floria Landauer's newest patient, Edward Weyland, suffers from the delusion that he's a vampire, not the undead variety but a predator that's co-evolved with humans to drink their blood. This idea has threatened his career as an anthropologist, and he needs a bill of good health to resume his position. However, as Weyland describes his "fantasy," Floria suspects she's being handed the truth dressed up as a lie, and the therapy becomes a fascinating contest of wills where trust and respect vie with mortal imperatives.