Teenagers Rose Hathaway and Vasilisa "Lissa" Dragomir are best friends gone AWOL for more than a year from the St. Vladimir's Academy. Guardian Dimitri Belikov and his team from the school finally find the girls and bring them back. Rose is a Dhampir, a good half-human/half-vampire breed that can eat regular food and are trained to protect the Moroi from Strigoi (evil immortal vampires). Lissa is a princess among the Moroi, a good mortal breed of vampires that feed off blood from donors and are capable of controlling one of the four elements. With their return, Headmistress Kirova intends to punish Rose, but old Victor Dashkov, an ailing friend of Lissa's decimated family, dissuades Kirova from her intent. As Lissa dates her outcast schoolmate Christian Ozera, she is unexpectedly threatened by someone wishing her harm. Victor's daughter Natalie joins Rose and Lissa to help seek out their hidden enemy.—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil