When Alexandria Crossglow stumbles upon a mysterious-looking vial in her small hometown of Crystal Cove, she gets a feeling that it may be something a bit more special than just a piece of jewelry. With some research and a lot of questioning, she finally realizes that the vial is.... Roth Darklow, a vampire since 1675, and his twin sister, Gabriela, are still residing in Crystal Cove, in search of that very vial that Alexandria has kept hidden. As Gabriela's body gets weaker and weaker without her vial, someone else begins to get wind of her ill condition ... someone much more dangerous than the mayor's daughter Roth is stalking. Enter Ezra Nightwood, a smart-mouthed, egotistical vampire with a passion for killing. His intentions are less than pure, and when Alexandria has two different run-ins with the male vampires, her grip on the control of her life begins to slip, and she has to make a choice for her own safety. Will she return Gabriela's vial to save herself and her friends? Or is everything going to slowly slip from her grasp until she has nothing left to lose?