MEhaehehhehehehehhe. 

LOL I am tired. But that isn't important rn, anyway lol.  

Don't have a lot of time to look this over again, so if anything doesn't make sense, I will update soon. Ciao!!!

   Feeling numb, Jim stared at Claire.

   She raised her chin, her eyes full of stubborn assurance, and mouthed, "I'm okay,"

   Liar, Jim thought, but he gave her a small nod. She sighed.

   Trevor cleared his throat unnecessarily loudly, and reached down and gave Claire's hair a pat. She shot a look of pure hatred up at him.

   "So, Jim. About what I said... Marc, would you?" Trevor stepped back and Marcus brandished his knife wickedly. Jim's eyes widened. No no no no no nonono!

   "Fine!" Jim yelped, and Marcus paused, his knife inches from Claire's skin. "I'll– I'll tell you!"

   Claire subtly nodded to her arms like she was trying to tell him something.

   Oh.

   "Untie her hands, and I – I will tell you."

   Trevor stared at him coldly. "She can do magic, can't she?" 

    Claire sat up. "Not here. Something is blocking it. I tried."

   Her acting was so convincing that Jim almost believed it, but he knew she wouldn't ask for her hands to be free if she couldn't use them for magic. It was the only thing she could possibly use to overpower them.

   "So why would he untie the rope?"

   "Because, that bitch Marcus pulled off my pinky nail, that's why! It hurts like hell. Please?" She made puppy eyes at Trevor, but still managed to show her hate towards him at the same time.

   Trevor leaned down until he was in her face. "I, or Marcus, or any of the men outside can kill you in less than a minute, Claire, so I wouldn't try anything stupid."

   She gulped. "You couldn't,"

   "If you move, Marcus still has the knife, and your feet are still tied."

   "Okay."

   Marcus bent down and cut away the tight bindings around her wrists. Her hands swung down and she looked at her finger, which was a bloody mess. "Ugh," she murmured, then met Jim's eyes and nodded. 

   Blackness burst from her hands like water from a dam.

   Helmut didn't approve of Trevor's plan.

   Searching for the sword, if it even existed, would most likely end badly. The many interesting fellows protecting Arcadia wouldn't let him get to it without a fight.

   Would he try to pull it from the rock? Helmut knew where it was located, but the last thing he'd do was lead him to it.

   Why Trevor wanted it, he wasn't sure. He needed more info, and fast.

   Helmut reached forward and grabbed the package of Turkish Delight from on the dashboard of his car, then got out into the cold night air. The wind whipped his black trenchcoat around his legs as he walked to the house and swept up the front steps.

   He rang the doorbell, and waited.

   Finally, a girl with sandy hair, bright green eyes, dark clothes, and a pair of earbuds hanging from her shirt opened the door and looked him up and down.

   "Uh, who are you?" She asked.

   "My name is Helmut, I am a friend of your father's. This is for you, your father, and your mother." He handed her the Turkish Delight, and she thanked him, then called up the stairs to her dad.

   "Coming!" His voice rang down the stairs.

   "And are you Priscilla?" Helmut asked politely. "Your father speaks of you fondly."

   "Yeah." She wandered to the kitchen, and he waited for Zeke in the foyer. Her dad came downstairs and greeted Helmut.

   Sitting on a stool in the kitchen by the counter, Pris leaned on her arm and plucked a piece of Turkish Delight from the box. She listened closely to the two men as they moved to her father's study, talking to each other.

   The lock clicked into place softly. Obviously, they didn't want to be heard or interrupted.

   Must be important, Pris thought. She considered going back to her room and studying, but it was a weekend, so nope. Pris popped another piece in her mouth and started chewing.

   Grabbing a cup, she tip-toed to the study door and breathed as softly as she could, listening. Their voices were muffled, but she caught most of it.

   "What is it you wanted to speak to me about, Helmut? I told you not to come to my home. You might've put my family in danger."

   "I can assure you, I wasn't followed."

   "How do you know that for sure?"

   A moment of silence followed. "I am quite sure. You know I am good at what I do. But that isn't important, James. We have more pressing matters to talk about."

   "Like what?"

   "Have you heard of Trevor Trenton?"

   "No. Who is he?"

   "Someone dangerous. He is investigating the location of Excalibur."

   "The Excalibur? What is he, crazy? Even if he found it, and even if it exists, how the hell does he think he can move it?"

     "I don't know. But he will go to extreme lengths, I assure you."

   Pris raised her eyebrows. What? Wasn't Excalibur that sword from the myth about Camelot?

   Were they playing pretend or something? No, they were much too old for that nonsense. But they sounded really crazy. She leaned her ear back against the glass.

   "Why does this concern me?"

   A long sigh was heard. "Jack is involved."

   There was a loud scrape of a chair being pushed back. "I told you that he has no relevance in my life now. I told you." 

   "Yes, I remember. But is it true?"

   "How does he involve me?"

   "Whether you will choose to admit it or not, Jack will always matter, won't he?"

   Pris held her breath as tense silence reigned for a few seconds.

   "What the hell are you trying to rope me into?"

   "You don't need to do anything about it, but if something catastrophic happens, you should be prepared. I have a feeling that Jack will try to pull you into it." 

   A loud sigh.

"Do you think I'm skewed, Helmut?"

   "Everyone is skewed, James. But the difference between them and you to me is that I am your friend."

      Pris felt like she was intruding into a personal conversation, but why would he call her father James? 

   "Okay. What has Trevor been up to, Helmut?"   

     She backed away from the door silently, feeling like she'd heard too much, and headed back into the kitchen. 

   Who was Jack? Who was Trevor? Why did Helmut call him James? 

   Feeling like she needed to eat something, Pris grabbed some more Turkish Delights, placed them on a small plate, and went upstairs to her bedroom.