Newhaven of the future – ironically enough, anything but a safe haven for its inhabitants. The government has run out of money but hospitals and schools are better than ever – that’s to say for those living in one of the fenced-off areas. Still, postcodes have less meaning for the new influenza which is spreading, and suddenly everyone is facing the same issues: Where has the virus come from? Are you safe if you buy the pharmaceutical companys’ newly designed mouth guard? And who can afford to get vaccinated?
Liv is 18 years old, an angel living among humans. She knows why people are getting sick and she’s tired of being a passive bystander. In contrast, her childhood friend Raphael has seen far too much of Newhaven and not even the sunglasses he always wears can shut out its harsh climate. Perhaps it would be simpler to be one of them – one of the fallen angels? Marcel knows what it feels like to be fallen: like nothing. Killing someone causes him as little pain as the cuts he carves into his shoulders afterwards. It’s a simple logic: the world isn’t grey, it’s black or white, and if he called the shots it would only be black.
Life is left hanging in the balance for these three when the hunt for medicines leads to a raid on the hostel where Liv works. The next day, she has disappeared without a trace and Raphael faces a dilemma. Should he focus on his mission or drop everything to find Liv? Marcel has other concerns. His problem isn’t to do with finding someone, it’s to do with getting rid of someone, namely the girl who’s lying in one of his rooms and refusing to die.
