"Well?" Jespa spat. "I'm waiting, little sister." The crowd was eerily quiet - while they had no idea what was wrong with the stranger, let alone who he was, none of them dared speak. They huddled as far away from Jespa as they could, and even Maximillo and Victoria did nothing. Jespa looked terrifying, breathing heavily, eyes wild.
"Sister?" The word was murmured slightly at the back, in disbelief. Of course that was something they found hard to believe. The elegance of Sophia was non-existent on the ragged sibling.
"Jespa." Sophia said, quietly. "What a surprise." Jespa looked around, in pure disgust - everyone winced as his gaze raked over them.
"Is this your little getaway, then? Singing in front of these buffoons?" No one spoke at the insult. Sophia's heart raced within her chest - had she died and gone to hell? Maybe hell would be better than what was happening right now. She couldn't bring herself to speak or act. She was still frozen in fear, trapped on stage in front of all these birds. A million thoughts raced through her mind. What they would think of her. What the tribe and Roberto would think of her. Roberto's wings around her seemed to tighten, protectively.
"Sophia..." Roberto whispered, but Jespa hissed.
"Keep quiet, you!" He snapped. "And get away from her." Sophia finally realized that she was still in Roberto's wings - Jespa clearly didn't like it. Wriggling out of his grasp, Sophia flew onto the floor, trying to walk in a calm manner as she approached her brother. Her skin crawled as she got closer. She stopped, centimetres from his face, trying to keep her terror hidden.
"Don't do this here." She pleaded, fear making her stomach flip. She tried to keep her gaze steady, but knew it was flickering uneasily from Jespa to Roberto, and to the onlookers. On stage, Roberto looked on with wide eyes. Sophia was dangerously close to Jespa, who was looking alarmingly angrier by the minute.
"You're coming with me." Jespa snarled, leaning forward, so Sophia was forced to cower beneath his scorching gaze. She took a step back, but Jespa still looked intimidating none the less. Sophia looked over her shoulder, at Roberto - he stared back. Don't go with him! Don't! She could hear him crying out in silence, from his pleading eyes. Sophia looked back at Jespa, fidgeting on the spot - trapped between his angry glare and Roberto's desperate gaze. A small voice murmured in her head.
He has no control over you. That had never happened before. In the ravine she was trapped, but here, surrounded by the birds who thought the world of her, she felt more in control of her life. She couldn't show them that she was weak - she had to prove to Jespa that she wasn't afraid of him. "No." She said, after a long, tense pause. The entire audience held their breath, unsure as to whether her reply was a good or bad thing, based on the look on Jespa's face.
"What?" He demanded, almost shouting. Sophia stopped cowering. She stood up straight, and met Jespa's gaze with steady eyes, preparing to reply - what did she dare say? Maybe this was a mistake, but it was too late to turn back now.
"Are you deaf as well as stupid? I said no!" Sophia exclaimed, and this comment rose several fearful moments. Jespa, however, found something to say.
"Where's this new bold streak come from?" Jespa asked, mockingly. His eyes travelled to the stage. "What? From him? You needed a boyfriend to rescue you?" He sneered.
"Don't be stupid!" Roberto's voice rang out from behind her. "She's strong and independent. She didn't need me, she got there all on her own - she just had to get away from you." Sophia's heart throbbed heavily in her chest, with emotion. Roberto leapt off stage, to her side. "Now, get out, Jespa. You're not welcome here."
"Yeah! Get out!" Finally, a crowd member plucked up the courage, and this was followed by many more. Jespa looked around wildly, panicking when he realised he no longer had the situation in his control. He was clearly searching for something to say.
"Singing is vanity!" He blurted out. He narrowed his eyes. "Zenaida would be ashamed."
"It's not vanity, Jespa - you're looking for an excuse to make me stop singing. Guess what? I won't, because you have no power over me. And leave Zenaida out of this." Sophia searched for Roberto's wing - she was relieved to interlock her wingtips with his.
"You don't want to talk about our dear mother. She's dying, while you have the time of your life." Jespa grinned when Sophia flinched at this statement. "Fine - let's not talk about our mother. Let's talk about our father."
"No!" Sophia cried out, the bravery melting to pure horror. "I'm begging you, Jespa - he wouldn't want this."
"There it is. The real, snivelling and pathetic brat you really are." Jespa sneered, nastily. "His soul hasn't slept since he died. You know why? He speaks to me! He tells me how unhappy he is, unable to rest!" Jespa's voice rose, to a shout - what he said chilled everyone present to the bone. "It's all your fault! His blood is cold, his bones marrowless - because of you!" With a wild squawk, he leapt forward, barbed talons clawing for her neck - she screeched, throwing up her wings to block the attack, but then Roberto let go of her wing. Roberto bowled Jespa over, and the two males sped across the floor in a whirlwind of blue feathers. Shrieks filled the club - feathers flew, and if it went any further, blood would soon follow.
"Stop it!" Sophia shrieked, diving toward the wrestling males. She looked desperately toward Maximillo - finally, the powerful Hyacinth sprung into action. He seized Jespa by the back of the neck, tearing him away from Roberto, who lay on the floor, motionless. "Roberto!" She gasped, in panic, rushing toward him - but then he staggered to his feet. Relieved to see that he was alright, Sophia spun round, to see Maximillo dragging Jespa to the door. He kicked the door open, before throwing Jespa outside, into a mud puddle. Roberto ran after Jespa, hastily, while Victoria rushed to Sophia, as her mate tried to gather the audience attention.
"Sorry about that, I'm sure it's nothing to worry about -" the Blue-and-Gold, thankfully, was able to distract the crowd from Sophia, although some still looked on.
"What the heck was that about?" Victoria whispered, eyes round. "You'd better sort it out, he's not bursting in here again!"
"I'm sorry, he's my brother. He's got problems..." Sophia then hastily made for the door, aware that their stares were burning into her skin.
"Are you alright?" Maximillo asked, as he opened the door, somewhat reluctantly.
"Fine!" She insisted, darting past him. Relieved when the door creaked close, she panicked upon realization that Jespa and Roberto were no where in sight. "Roberto! Jespa!" She shouted; then she heard grunting, through the bushes.
"I'll kill you!" Snarled Jespa. Sophia rushed to the sound, shoving through the bushes - the sound of music from the club had begun, meaning they would thankfully be unheard. Reaching the scene, she was briefly frozen in shock. Jespa and Roberto were floundering across the forest floor, with Jespa spitting all kinds of insults and threats.
"You have no right to stop her living a decent life!" Roberto hissed, furiously, between ducking Jespa's swipes. Horrified by the sight of them fighting, Sophia ran into the fray.
"Stop it -" she protested, seizing Jespa by the wing and pulling him back. Jespa struggled, desperate to sink his claws back into Roberto - but then he spun round, in horror. He frantically shoved her talons away.
"Get your murderous talons off! You're getting blood all over me!" He shrieked suddenly, leaping back as though she were a thousand degrees. Sophia's heart almost stopped. Roberto looked up, staring in utter bewilderment.
"What does he mean?" He asked, looking at Sophia, confused - to her horror, suspicion rose into his eyes. "Is he hallucinating?" Something strange was happening to Jespa. He was scrubbing frantically at the wing Sophia had grabbed, eyes wild with a mixture of enmity and terror, rubbing at something they could not see - in his twisted mind, he saw blood on his feathers. Sophia stretched out a wing, to block Roberto back, sure her heart was about to burst out of her chest. She was certain she was about to faint.
"Jespa." She whispered. Jespa looked up with utter insanity.
"You don't know, Roberto! If you knew, you'd never talk to her again!" He screeched. Sophia desperately looked at Roberto, but he shouted back at Jespa. He wanted the answer.
"Knew what?" Roberto demanded. Jespa raised a shaking wing, pointing it at Sophia. She shook in absolute terror, pleading filling her eyes, but Jespa ignored it. He snarled in a mocking and acidic voice, with more hatred and malice Sophia thought possible.
"My father's murderer stands right there."