In a modern world where the four elements (no, not those elements; don't stop reading yet) are controlled by the select few born with the gift, seventeen-year-old Joshua Rasgard is horribly, painfully normal. And that's not changing. No really. He survives by his wit and acute knowledge of how adventures should go, unlike his younger brother Kael who would rather disintegrate his problems to ash.

Together, they're on a globe spanning treasure hunt that is about to take a dark turn. While hunting for clues, Joshua decides to rescue an ex-superpowered-assassin named Gianna. Doing so puts a target on all of their backs and thrusts them into a global conflict not unrelated to the treasure hunt.

The one thing Joshua knows is that he is out of his element.