Towards the end of her pregnancy, Mara and Gus get a call for help, from Mama Lua.

Mama Lua has to go to New Orleans for a family emergency, but her store is under attack and she can't leave it unattended. She asks Mara and Gus if they can fill in for her while she's gone, deal with the assorted, eccentric customers, and figure out who's trying to shut her down.

When Mara and Gus arrive in Los Angeles, they have their hands full and Mama Lua is nowhere to be found. Aunt Tillie, who insisted on accompanying them, has her own reasons for wanting to be in Los Angeles, and isn't being very forthcoming.

Mara and Gus soon find themselves knee-deep in paranormal weirdness. Not only does Mara catch a wannabe vampire feeding on the customers, there's a flesh-eating demon on the loose, working its way up the food chain, and now someone's called up a homunculus.

It's up to Mara and Gus to sort everything out and can that demon before it claims any more victims on its homicidal snacking binge. But they need to get things under control fast, before Mara goes into labor and her unusual baby makes its long-awaited appearance in their world.