Four hundred years before meeting Kitty Norville and helping her defend Denver from the supernatural forces that would harm it, the vampire Rick was Ricardo de Avila, a young Spanish colonial surviving as best he could. He had been part of Coronado's expedition -- and then he had been attacked and transformed into a bloodthirsty demon, only waking at night to prey on the living. He resists his monstrous nature, takes only what blood he needs, and tries redeem himself by protecting the weak. He killed the demons who made him and believes he is the only monster left in the world.

Then, one night, he meets another.

A group of vampires has traveled from Europe to establish the first vampire Family in New Spain. They didn't expect to find one of their kind already living there.

Finally, Rick learns what he really his -- and that it is possibly much worse than he thought.