Three stylish vampires arrive in New Orleans just in time for Mardis Gras, and then disappear again. While in the city, the group's leader, Zillah, meets and impregnates an adolescent girl. Fifteen years later, the child of that pairing, a boy who calls himself simply "Nothing" is living with adoptive parents in the suburbs, where he – like so many other teens – feels isolated and out of place. The answer is, his father is a vampire, leaving Nothing hovering precariously between worlds. When Nothing runs away from home he meets up with none other than Zillah and his small troupe, Molochai and Twig. Together they go on a quest to seek out Nothing's favorite band, Lost Souls. Nothing is aided along the way by a psychic named ghost, and their relationship leads to the ultimate inner battle where Nothing must choose between his wild, vampiric heritage, or preserving his humanity to save the life of another.