Growing up, I had three rules: Never leave the yard, talk to no one, and hide if anyone came over. I grew up on the one island in this realm without magic.

Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. You're either a fire element or a shifter with one of those elements.

Except me. I don't make sense.

I have magic on an island with no magic, fire, and I can shift into whatever I want. I've always been told the humans, the fire elements who rule everything, and the shifter tribes would hurt me if they ever found out about me.

I hated never having any friends and only ever speaking to the man who trained and raised me, but that fear made me follow his rules. Except now he's old and sick and he's breaking his own rules.

He has a message for the fire princess that he can only tell her in person instead of sending a raven. He refuses to give me the message, but he expects me to go to the mainland, get close to the princess, and convince her to come back to an island where she would be powerless to hear his message.

I can hide my abilities, but fire elements are extremely rare now. I can't hide my red hair.

No matter how I do this, I'm going to be in danger. I'm petrified, but I'm also curious what the world is like outside our yard.

. .