Essence Macarthy gets a strange visitor, a lawyer bearing a locket with the initials "IC," a note from her late mother Emoni', and a large sum of money. The letter, which arrives shortly before her twenty-first birthday, tells her that more answers await in New Orleans.

The arrival of these elements comes as Essence's dreams get deeper, seemingly pointing to a past that she can't yet understand. She also starts developing powers-including increased strength, agility, and speed.

When Essence discovers a family lineage that includes vampires and a curse placed upon her family by an...