David "Little Hawk" Lightfoot is a 12-year-old Native American boy who has been traumatized by a vicious roadside attack, which he believes left his parents dead. Only his grandfather, a very powerful shaman, is able to pull him back from his paralyzing grief. While recovering from the attack, David learns his parents have not really died, but have been turned into vampires and he vows to hunt down the monster who took them.
When Little Hawk discovers his parents and the monster may have fled to New Orleans; he is determined to follow them. Unable to deter him from this course, two members of the Tribal Council decide to join him in his quest. While preparing to perform a ritual of protection over the travelers, Grandfather reveals a secret he has held since David's birth; Little Hawk is destined to replace him as shaman of their tribe. Armed with only the protection of the ritual, a bag of stakes and holy water, and slowly emerging shaman abilities, Little Hawk and his companions set off for New Orleans. Can they find and destroy the monster that claimed David's parents; and, if necessary, can he find the strength to save his parents from the terrible fate that has befallen them?