The Rightful Heir

Chapter 2

Ezra and Easton sat on the plush couch in their cozy living room, their eyes narrowed as they faced their parents, Elias and Elena. The atmosphere was thick with tension, their mother's sobs filling the room with an emotional weight that made Ezra's heart clench.

"Explain. Everything. Now," Ezra demanded, his voice fierce and demanding, anger flickering like a fire in his eyes.

Elias squeezed Elena's hand tighter, his expression earnest yet solemn. "We sent you boys away to save your lives from the Draconis," he said, pain in his voice as he struggled to meet their gaze. "Your mother and I knew that eventually, they would return to take you away from us. We wanted to protect you, but we also knew that we didn't have enough magic anymore, not like we did when we were your age. At your age, we were the best in our class."

"Hold it!! The best in your class? Will we have to take classes to control our powers?" Easton interjected, his curiosity piqued overshadowing his initial anger.

"We will teach you," Elias stated, the conviction in his voice filled with hope.

"I can't believe this," Ezra scoffed, disbelief coloring his tone as he leaned back against the couch, arms crossed. "You are going to teach us?" He couldn't help but let out a short, incredulous laugh.

"That's very rude, you know!" Elena snapped, her voice laced with hurt as she wiped away her tears.

"Yeah, and guess what... I don't care! You sent us away and didn't think to find us, to simply ask, 'Hey, how you doing? What have you been up to? How's school?!' You did nothing to keep us!" Ezra's voice rose to a roar, every ounce of frustration spilling out as he glared at his parents.

Elena's tears began to flow in earnest, and in a swift flash of anger, she struck Ezra on the head, sending him crashing to the floor in surprise. He lay there, momentarily stunned, eyes wide as he took in the desperate look on her face, the way her cheeks were red and puffy from crying.

"We did everything to keep you boys," she sobbed, her voice trembling. "The Draconis would have killed you both if they found you. You are the only ones who can stop them."

"What do you mean we're the only ones who can stop them?" Easton questioned, finally allowing his brother to rise as he loosened his grip on Ezra's shirt, concern etched on his face.

"You need to know the origins of the Draconis," Elena explained, her voice hoarse but steadying as she looked at both of her sons. "In the 1800s, there were four kingdoms, now known as England, Germany, France, and Ireland. Four young teenage boys, one from each of those countries, received a sign in their dreams to meet on a ship in the English Channel. When they met, shook hands—each boy was endowed with an elemental gift. To this day, we don't know who is who and which element belongs to whom. They all wear hoods, and that's how they've kept their identities hidden since they formed the Draconis."

"Why did they form the Draconis? Why would they want to target us?" Easton pressed further, his brow furrowed.

"They are afraid of others with their... gifts. They believe in a prophecy that states two twins will end their reign over the gifted world. They perceive you two as those twins. In the gifted realm, twins are incredibly rare. Often, if twins are born, one or both do not survive," Elena explained, her eyes pleading with them to understand.

"What's the prophecy?" Ezra asked, curiosity momentarily sidestepping his anger.

"It's written in an ancient book... and it's in a museum in Egypt," Elias stated, his voice steady.

"Egypt? We have to go to Egypt to break into a museum?" Ezra's incredulity bubbled back to the surface.

"Hold on. You don't have to break in. You're getting to go to Egypt, and you won't be the ones breaking in," Elias said, a glimmer of excitement creeping into his voice. "So start packing."