Lumi, with the exception of an occasional whimper, kept silent the whole trip back. She watched the blurry houses pass under them, unable to escape the growing fear of going home.
Deep in the woods, under a canopy of vivid leaves and berry trees was the house. There was a window beside the front (and only) door, and within the glass, between the tucked away curtains, stood the unmistakable and rigid shape of Nicodemus watching for their return.
Regardless if Lumi was quiet with only a few whimpers, fear is contagious. The more Zion thought about the issue of turning her in, the more he realized he still held only two pieces of cinnarros. They were trapped within the confines of his web, likely leaving a sweet cinnamon trail.
Before coming into view of the dreaded home, the spider slowed to a halt and put the flightless bird down. He licked a finger and touched it to the silk-like strings, letting it dissolve before shifting the barrels back comfortably into his arms.
"Coin bag lost in crowd, yes? Drop or eat later-snack."
He commanded as he reached for one of the two, opening his mouth wide and stuffing the delicacy into his mouth. He wiped off crumbs, patting himself down.
After being released, the little woman crumpled onto her knees. She took her cinnamon bread and threw it as hard as she could. "No go back, Zohn..." Lumi whispered, grabbing handfuls of her layered dress. "Fah will hurt meh, please no go back."
"Flightless must go home. Father is home. We love Father, yes? Father loves moon birdie and Zion. He says so."
Pleas fell on deaf ears as he breathed a sigh of relief. The treat was gone. Anything that would compromise his their favor brought about risks so extensive, it could cost them their lives.
Lumi was right, he was naughty. He shouldn't have brought her over to the baker's stall, and he knew better. Father was forgiving, for he loved them. If they repented whole-heartily, he'd forgive.
"Bread-bird gave bread, we say no. We took and left. Yes? If Father ask, we say truth. No more bread. Coin bag gone. We home, we miss Father, have barrels. Done."
He nodded to himself. Using a free hand, he attached it onto her clothes and pulled her forward, out into the space where Nicodemus could see.
Hopefully her face wasn't too reddened from tears.
Lumi wiped her wet face and stumbled onto her feet. She was trembling still, knowing full well how things tend to go with their 'father'- even when they tell him they're sorry.
As the two drew closer to the house, Nico's shadow disappeared from the window. The clicking of locks traveled down the great wooden door before it swung open.
"My dears." The Birdwatcher purred to them, looking down on the two with a warm smile and beckoning them inside. His eyes locked hard on Lumi, recognizing immediately the stress in her face. The girl stood in place outside the house, staring up at the man's shape. She couldn't get her legs to move. Why weren't they moving forward? Go, go. Move. She thought to herself, her breath trembling.
Nicodemus gave her a silent, unreadable stare before turning his eyes on Zion. "Tell me everything that happened on your trip, little prince." He said gently (but firmly), stepping out into the leaves and wrapping his arm around Lumi. "Time to come in, now." He added icily to her as he pushed her inside the house.
Zion was much quicker to step inside than his partner. He was inside the home as soon as Nicodemus opened the door, setting down the barrels over by the heavy doors leading to downstairs. Lumi's hesitation was a problem of her own until Nicodemus asked him directly.
"Yes, yes, much."
He nodded to himself, creeping over and behind the sofa as if to put something between the birdwatcher and himself.
"Go to market. Find seed, two barrels. Lose bag coins. Upset, very upset birdie. Father be anGRY, angRY..."
He flinched, then scratched the top of his head before continuing.
"Bread-bird give bread. Make sad bird happy. But no, only love FAther bread, so no take. No take bread, no please. No."
He itched the side of his face, down to his neck, clawing deeply into skin.
"No and YeS but nO ANd YEs and birdie gets sad again-- WANts friEND, FrienDS, FRIendS-
Nicodemus sat Lumi down on a nearby velvet couch and took a seat across from her in a high-backed chair, listening closely. He was nodding and smiling as Zion reported, as the boy was always told to do. But when the usual story took a turn, his smile vanished quite completely.
First, he was surprised. Then concerned. Then, as Zion's tale came to an end, Nico's eyes were broiling with fury.
"Oh." Was all he said. Pressing his fingertips together, the man pulled some thread from under his nails and began weaving with it angrily. Lumi was motionless before him, her eyes foggy and unfocused as though she was pretending not to be there.
"And what did you tell her, hmM?" He asked Zion, gaze flashing in his direction.
"Hush! To hush. I tell, tell her we home, we miss father, have barrels, we love, love father. Yes. Father loves Lumoon birdie and Zion. Flightless go home, they must."
He stopped his scratching, yet could not meet the eyes of the birdkeeper. Golden irises stared away towards one of the webs Nicodemus had made himself. A beautiful design, one he only wished he could do. Alas, his string was much different than the man's.
"All true. True, love Father, and love Home only."
"You look at me when I'm speaking to you." The man hissed at Zion, suddenly slamming his hands down on the arms of his chair and pushing himself onto his feet. The thread from his fingers fell in strands to the floor. Stepping forward quickly, Nicodemus glowered at Lumi. "Traitor!" He spat before whipping his arm round and smacking her with the back of his hand. The girl let out a little cry of terror as the force knocked her off the couch. She held her face and curled up. "Whore!" Nico continued, bending down and taking a handful of her hair. "After all I have given you, I am still not enough! You filthy lustful slut!" Without mercy, the man dragged her across the redwood flooring to the Aviary by her locks. Shoving the door open with his free arm, he descended with her knocking against the stairs behind him.
"Oh WHAt am I to do- what to do with a slut like this one. Always wanting wanting wanting, hm? Enchanting others with her ruffled feathers, hm?" He was yelling as he proceeded to aggressively throw her back into her hanging iron cell. The cage door slammed shut with a metal clanging as Nico turned and headed back up the stairs. In his hands was the girls clothes.
"Zion." The Birdwatcher snapped, looking for the boy. "Return to your room now. Don't leave for anything." Reaching behind him, the man gestured to the Aviary.
Eyes shot over to Nicodemus as he was commanded to. Zion watched with wide, open eyes as the delusional man screeched at Lumi, lifting her with ease and dragging her back into hell the aviary.
Once the coast was clear, the spider shuffled over to silk-like strands which laid scattered all over the floor. Collecting them in his hands, he feverishly wrapped them around his wrists. With time to spare, Zion crept back into the room with the two wardrobes and silently stripped, removing the clothes he'd borrowed for a time. He knew some sort of punishment would come for him, too, though at a later date.
Footsteps up the stairs cued the spider to hurry, messily folding the clothes back into their drawers.
As his name was called, he shifted back into the birdkeeper's view, lowering his head in submission as he scurried back into his room in the aviary.
"YEs, Father. I wAIt, WaIT for Father. Only LOVE, want FAtheR, yes."
