Living the immortal life of a vampire hasn’t been easy for Yelena Solodnikova. With all her heart, she loved the ancient vampire Marcel, who made her, and expected to spend eternity with him. But after over a century together, Marcel disappeared without a word, leaving Yelena brokenhearted. To make things more difficult, Yelena goes completely against the nature of her vampiric race by developing a conscience, and begins to feel guilt for all the mortals she kills each night in Los Angeles.

A chance encounter with 12-year-old orphan Orly Bialek changes everything for Yelena, as Orly has a supernatural gift. Orly is able to scribble portraits of people and see the evil deeds they have committed. With Orly’s ability to find predators of all sorts - murderers, rapists, drug dealers - roaming the streets of Los Angeles, she is able to provide Yelena a way to feed without feeling guilty even when the deaths are violent and torturous.

The pair bonds quickly, forming a mother/daughter relationship, and this begins to heal Yelena’s broken heart while allowing Orly, who has lived in a string of foster homes, to feel loved for the first time. It’s the perfect symbiotic relationship except for one thing - Orly is rapidly dying of leukemia.

If Yelena allows Orly to die, she will lose the daughter she has come to love, as well as the guilt-free meals she’s grown accustomed to. But if Yelena saves Orly’s life by turning her into a vampire, not only will she be going against the rules of vampiric tradition, she will be dooming Orly to an eternal existence devoid of true romantic love, as Orly will always appear to those around her, both mortals and immortals alike, as untouchable, as she will forever be trapped in the body of a child.