Cove has been a political refugee for years. Unjustly exiled from his home, the Realm of Water, he had no options left but to seek refuge in the Realm of Darkness. But after years of loneliness, of being thrown away and forgotten, a surprise missive arrives. He's granted a reprieve for temporary return to see his dying mother...but what of the traumatic and dangerous past that haunts his nightmares and threatens him still? Iggy is a young man trying to run away. From the Kingdom of Fire, from his father, from his family's criminal legacy. No matter what he tries, though, he can't seem to break free. All he wants is a friend, a companion, someone —but the demons of his origin hold everyone at bay. Until a chance encounter with a man named Cove, whose life is also in shambles, just might grant him everything he longs for. Two men who have nothing take a chance and forge an unprecedented friendship. After all, facing adversity is easier with someone on your side, isn't it? But as feelings of attraction grow, how much can either really trust a stranger? Can Iggy trust a man exiled from his own country who won't admit to why? Can Cove ever feel safe around Iggy when the fears of his past threaten to choke him? Can water and fire come together, or is it all doomed to go up in smoke?