Twelve-year old Jorden Casillas is caught between two worlds-and not for the usual preteen reasons. Jorden is a nahual (nah-wahl), a serpentine shapeshifter from Mesoamerican mythos. With uncanny strength and speed he hasn't quite learned to control, he can't blend in with the humans, nor is he entirely welcome in the secret monster society of Los Angeles. Things take a turn for the worse when Jorden is strong-armed into becoming the apprentice of Gaspar, an unscrupulous smuggler known as The Wax Man.

When Jorden is tasked with stealing a necklace that turns out to be a powerful magical artifact, he finds himself at odds with one of the most terrifying monsters in his mythos. In order to survive, Jorden must do the impossible-he must find a way to bridge the gap between humanity and mythology.