Chapter 4: Falling Action
Elizabeth jumped to her feet, shocked. Iro seemed angry, but he wasn't glaring at her. He was focused on Erika, still sitting calmly across the table.
"I wondered when you'd come back. It actually took Jay quite a bit longer to spill the beans than I'd expected. He must have really tried not to let anything slip."
"Don't play games with me. You had a child. Our child. 11 years ago, you watched me drive away, knowing you were pregnant. And now you waltz back into my life and you weren't going to say anything at all?" Iro was breathing heavily, feeling both angry and betrayed in a way he'd not known was possible.
"Yes, I wasn't going to say anything at all. But I knew Jay would crack, no matter how many times I warned him." Erika smiled, shaking her head. "I knew you'd hear about it while we were here. Doesn't that count for something?"
So you've just raised her on your own? No father, no family at all?"
Elizabeth watched the two, Iro red faced and angry, Erika still looking self confident. Elizabeth could stop this at any time. But she would give Erika the chance to prove her point. Or not do so.
"Stop your worrying. She has a father. And family. A very doting grandparent in fact."
"You can't be serious. Jay is raising my daughter? And I thought you hadn't spoken to your family in years."
Erika laughed at that. "Jay? No, don't worry. He is my live in nanny, but no, he isn't her father figure. Technically, she believes her father died. An accident while saving someone's life. Very heroic. As for her grandparent, we'll. Mamaw Mina talks to her almost every day on the phone, and sees her nearly every holiday."
Iro's anger popped like a bubble and he stared at Erika stupefied. "My mom knows that I have a kid? For a decade she's said nothing to me?" Iro sat down, feeling the betrayal deepen.
"Of course she knows. Family is important, and I wasn't going to go through child birth with just Jay's help. She was thrilled when we decided to name the baby after her mother."
Jay had finally caught up walking in the door just as Erika made her remark, and he ducked his head, looking embarrassed. "Sorry, Erika. I didn't mean to say anything."
"Jay, it's fine." Iro spit out. "She knew you'd say something. You were her way of getting out of telling me herself."
Turning his attention back to Erika. "So she thinks I'm dead?"
"Oh, no. She thinks you are her uncle. Your mother and I have told her quite the stories about uncle Iro. Plenty of stories about her father, Merrick, your older brother, as well. I'll send you the spread sheet sometime. Just in case you meet her one day." Erika added, leaning back in her chair.
"Just in case?" Iro sputtered, sitting upright again. "I am going to meet my daughter, Erika. You won't stop me."
"I will stop you. Legally you have no rights, unless you'd like to pay a decades worth of child support. And personally, as long as you have her," Erika gave a pointed look at Elizabeth, "you won't come anywhere near her. You heard your grandfather's story. I won't let someone like that around my child."
Iro shivered, admitting that she had a point. But this was too much. Why had she done this.
"It's true there was no Elizabeth ten years ago, but can you imagine how different your life would have been if you'd known? You said you had the perfect job lined up, and I let you pursue your own goals. I have raised our child well, and as an added bonus, your mother never had to pester you about providing her with a grandchild."
Elizabeth could see the rationalization. The twisted thoughts that allowed both Erika and Jay to live their lives while still claiming to serve their master. It was something that would not have worked for her. She needed his specific orders. Perhaps it was the difference in how they'd been changed. She still didn't see why she shouldn't tell Iro the truth and let him decide.
"I want to meet her." Iro said. "Some holiday or whenever, but I want to meet her. I'll play your game. I'll pretend I had an older brother, and I'll even leave Elizabeth behind. At a hotel nearby or something. But I deserve to meet her."
"Alright," Erika agreed. "We can make that happen."
Iro and Erika stared at each other for a minute. Elizabeth felt like her master was being taken advantage of and was about to say something, but Erika spoke again.
"Iro, can we have a moment to speak, just the two of us?"
Iro continued to look at her, searching her face for some clue what she wanted. "I suppose," he finally muttered. "Elizabeth, give us a moment, please."
Erika stood and grabbed Elizabeth's hand. "It really was quite enlightening to speak with you. Perhaps we can speak again before I leave."
Elizabeth glared at her, but shook her hand back, before turning to leave. Jay followed her silently, giving a faint wave to Iro.
Once the door closed, Erika looked at Iro. After an extended silence, she spoke.
"Have you ever considered using the mirror? Really using it? You could build a business no problem with an army of completely obedient minions."
"That's what you want to start with? Fuck. No. I can't emphasize this enough, but you'd have to be mad to try and use it for something like that. One fanatically obedient servant is more than enough."
Erika looked relieved to hear his answer. "You are terrified of her, aren't you. She said, reaching out her hand to his. "In a moment of weakness, you used the mirror, and now you have no choice to own up to it and take responsibilty." She laughed.
"It's not funny." Iro said, scowling. "You know what could happen. It's why you won't let her near Maria. I may be safe, I may not. But those around me could be in danger at any time."
Erika squeezed his hand in comfort. "You're right. But at the same time, she may be what you need to succeed. There's no chance of complacency with her around.
Or at least there shouldn't be. She told me you had begun to assume she knows what to do and she doesn't like it."
Iro looked anxious at her remark, but he sighed. "You aren't wrong. I'm terrified. But at the same time, I wouldn't be here without her.
---
Elizabeth was sitting in the hallway. In her hand she held an audio reciever.
At first she'd thought to turn it off. It was likely another one of her tricks. Then she heard Iro and Erika start to speak and her curiosity got the best of her. Jay just stood across the hall, ignoring her, unconcerned that she was listening to the conversation they'd just been kicked out of.
---
"What else have you discovered. About the mirror." Iro asked. He hadn't fully believed the story, so had never looked into it possible history. Since using it on elizabeth, he had wanted to think about it even less.
"Why did you first start looking for it?"
"I learned about it by accident, and then I tried to learn more because the thought of it terrified me." Erika shook her head.
"In the wrong hands, that thing could change the world. Fortunately, as I said earlier, it doesn't seem inclined to go to those hands. As I said, you can't steal it. It moves on when it's time, just like when your grandfather said he knew he was supposed to give it to you."
"Much like a fable, it seems to work on a smaller scale. Though if it's trying to teach a lesson, we'd need more evidence and more examples. As for what else I've learned, that's everything. My twenty minutes talking to your friend out there told me more than I've found in years of research. There's nothing out there. No talk of magic mirrors. No secret groups vying to get their hands on it. No one knows of its existence."
Erika let go of his hand, stood up and walked around the table to stand right in front of him. "The two scariest thoughts I have are these. Like the merchant in Arabian nights, he appeared in the night and disappeared after, giving a gift with no cost. I asked your grandfather about the other items on the man's table, and he couldn't remember anything else. Not one object. Obviously the mirror had his attention, but there could be other things, just as bad as the mirror, waiting to be released into the world."
Erika leaned back, sitting on the edge of the table as she stared into Iro's eyes. "Those things may never become our problem, but I worry what trouble they could be causing, or where that old man might be."
Iro understood what she was implying. The mirror could change the way people looked and behaved. What else was possible? "Was that your other fear? The unknown possibilities?"
"No," Erika said, leaning closer. "My other fear was that merchant's warning. Don't ever break the mirror, or bad stuff will be unleashed. Best case scenario, I would guess it frees the servants from their master. Could be bad for said master if the servants held a grudge. Or maybe it breaks your control, but leaves the servant still needing orders. What would Elizabeth do to get her orders. I know what your grandmother did."
Iro shuddered, at the memory of his grandfather's story as well as his memory of Elizabeth's behavior during the three days she was missing. "Erika, let me tell you what happened to me. My own version of grandpa's story."
He proceeded to recount what led to him using the mirror. He talked about the first day, how exciting it had been watching Elizabeth as a maid, cleaning his apartment. Then the fun they had that night, he didn't go into too many details, but in the morning, by the time he'd woken up, Elizabeth had looked into the mirror on her own. The first few hours, she begged for punishment, clad in leather and metal. He'd vented his anger and frustrations on her, to both of their delight. But he'd overcome his anger quickly, and was stuck with an angry, punishment obsessed nymphomaniac with no idea how to control her. She'd refused to look in the mirror again. That was when he'd realized how large his mistake had been, and how poor of a master he was.
Finally he'd ordered her to look at the mirror one last time. This Elizabeth, so similar to the original in looks, yet completely obedient to her new boss. Boss was a title he was more comfortable with. Boss he could do. So that had led to this company.
"I can picture what could happen if her leash were clipped, and I agree. It would not be a good thing."
Erika sat in silence, considering the story Iro had just shared. She walked around his chair, reaching up to place her hands on his shoulders, rubbing them gently. "Honestly, those were the tamest possibilities I could come up with. We are talking about real, actual magic here. Breaking that thing could also unleash actual chaos on the world. Storms, fires, transformations."
Iro's head rolled backwards, eyes squeezed shut. "So the whole world becomes California?"
Erika slapped him on the top of his head. "I'm glad you think it's funny." She looked down at him. "Just tell me you have it somewhere safe."
Iro sighed. "Yes. It's back in that old footlocker, with extra towels wrapped around it and a new padlock."
"Glad to hear it." Elizabeth walked around his chair to stand in front of him. Then suddenly she sat in his lap.
"Now tell me." She said, running her finger down his cheek. "How do you celebrate after around here after you've signed such a lucrative contract?"
Iro stiffened up as she slid into his lap. "Well, we haven't actually signed anything, yet. But the contract is real? You didn't just set this up as some chance to ambush me?"
"Oh, It's very real. The company was looking to outsource some work, and I just made sure that you and your little company had increased priority in the final decision making. You really have made something here. I was more than happy to mix a little business with pleasure and help out an old friend."
Iro relaxed a little, but still felt uncomfortable with Erika, a person he felt he barely knew anymore, sitting so comfortably in his lap.
"Well, typically, Elizabeth and I have taken to celebrating at a nice restaurant here in town, then home for a little extra dessert."
"Sounds nice" Erika said. "But maybe we could just skip to the dessert, instead."
Iro knew Jay and Elizabeth were right outside the door. Elizabeth had told him many times that she didn't mind him having others in his life, but the idea of this still made him uncomfortable.
"Iro, dear. I am a very driven single mother. I do not take many nights to myself, and I have been quite lonely for most of the last ten years. If you are still mad at me, let me make it up to you." She leaned forward and bit his earlobe. She knew what things turned him on, and had forgotten none of them since last they'd seen each other.
She whispered into his ear, "Remember the night we spent on the beach? The bonfire, the blanket, the stars above us? We can recreate that tonight, just the two of us."
Iro's breath hitched as memories flooded back. He'd forgotten that Erika had known about his secret spot, his sanctuary. She'd been the only one he'd ever taken there. He felt his resolve weakening, but he still hesitated. "Elizabeth is right outside," he managed to say, his voice barely above a whisper.
Erika leaned back, her eyes gleaming with mischief.
"And? She's your assistant, not your mother. I'm sure she can wait outside for a bit longer. Besides, I thought you were her boss. Shouldn't you be the one making the decisions?"
Iro's grip on the armrests tightened as he considered her words. He glanced at the door, then back at Erika. :She can wait." He turned his attention back to Erika, his expression serious. "But if we do this, it's just tonight. No strings attached."
"I've moved on, and I'm sure you have too. This is just... catching up on old times." Erika's voice was low, her eyes fixed on Iro's.
Iro felt a pang of guilt at the thought of Elizabeth waiting outside, but Erika's proximity was intoxicating. He'd always had a hard time resisting her, and it seemed that hadn't changed. "Alright," he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Just tonight."
Erika's face broke into a wide smile, and she leaned in to kiss him.
Iro responded, feeling the familiar spark between them. She pulled back after a moment, her eyes twinkling.
"You were always so good at mixing business with pleasure. I want you to think of me every time you come into this room." She reached down, quickly unbuttoning his shirt and pushing it down and off of his arms.
She leaned back, straddling him, and began to run her fingers over his chest, tracing the lines of his muscles. Iro gasped as she leaned down, her tongue flicking out to tease his nipple.
He groaned, his hands moving to her hips, pulling her closer. Erika smiled, grinding against him, feeling the growing bulge in his pants. She reached down, unbuckling his belt and popping open the button of his pants. She slid off of his lap, kneeling in front of him, and tugged his pants down, revealing his boxers.
She looked up at him, her eyes filled with a hunger that matched his own. "I've missed this," she murmured, before leaning forward and running her tongue along the length of him through the thin fabric. Iro gasped, his hips bucking slightly at the contact.
Erika chuckled, low and sultry, before hooking her fingers into the waistband of his boxers and pulling them down as well. She took him into her mouth, her tongue swirling around him, her lips tight. Iro groaned, his head falling back against the chair, his hands tangling in her hair.
Erika knew exactly what she was doing, and it showed. She continued to tease and tantalize him, bringing him to the brink of ecstasy before pulling back, only to start again. After what felt like an eternity, she finally released him, standing up and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
"Come on," she said, holding out her hand to him. "Let's find that beach."
Iro took her hand, allowing her to pull him to his feet. He quickly gathered his clothes, pulling on his shirt and pants, leaving them unbuttoned.
Erika was already at the door, looking back at him with a mischievous grin. She opened the door carefully, peeking out to make sure the coast was clear. Seeing no one, she slipped out, with Iro close behind.
As they made their way down the hall, Iro glanced back to see Elizabeth still sitting in the same spot, her head resting against the wall, her eyes closed. He felt a pang of guilt, but Erika's hand in his reminded him of the moment they were sharing. He could deal with Elizabeth later.
---
Elizabeth had listened to their conversation through the handset Erika had given her. Elizabeth understood, now. This woman, she was a good servant, helping their master in her own way, and would have been an ideal helper. But she had too much freedom. She was able to interpret her service in ways Elizabeth couldn't. And Erika knew Iro so well that even though he'd been screaming at her moments before, she could hear the sounds of them getting intimate through the handset.
At that point she finally turned it off, moving away from the door to sit on a sofa. Elizabeth was right. It would be a mistake to tell him the truth. She wasnt making this choice out of jealousy, and she wasn't lieing to him. She would simply allow him to discover the truth in his own way.
When Iro and Erika emerged from the conference room, Elizabeth looked up, but it was quickly obvious that this was not a moment she was invited to. She watched them run to the elevator.
No, this woman. It was best if she left their master's side as soon as possible.
Jay merely sat on the other couch, relaxing. He yawned as he watched the two drag each other into the elevator.
---
Iro hit the top button on the elevator. There were no beaches in Minnesota, or none anywhere nearby, but he did have a lovely view from the roof of their building. And plenty of privacy as well.
Even before they elevator doors were fully closed, they'd begun pulling each other's clothes off. By the time they'd reached the roof, they were already naked.
Their clothes lay scattered on the elevator floor, forgotten. Erika led Iro to the edge of the building, where a small seating area had been set up. She pushed him down onto the couch, straddling him once again.
"I like it up here," she murmured, running her fingers through his hair. "The view, the privacy. It's perfect."
Iro groaned as she leaned down to kiss him, his hands gripping her hips. "Erika, we shouldn't-"
"Shh," she interrupted, placing a finger on his lips. "We've talked enough, tonight."
Erika whispered, her breath hot on his ear. "Now it's time for action."
Iro's hands moved to her hips, pulling her closer as she grinded against him. He could feel her wetness, and it sent a jolt of electricity through him. He leaned up, capturing her mouth in a fierce kiss, his tongue demanding entrance. She moaned, opening to him, their tongues dancing together.
Erika's hands moved to his chest, pushing him back down onto the couch. She broke the kiss, her breath coming in ragged gasps. "I want you inside me, Iro.
Now." Erika's voice was firm, her eyes locked onto his. She didn't wait for a response, instead reaching down and positioning him at her entrance. She slowly lowered herself onto him, her eyes never leaving his.
Iro groaned, his hands gripping her hips tightly. He could feel every inch of her as she took him in, her warm heat enveloping him. Erika began to move, slowly at first, rolling her hips in a steady rhythm. Iro matched her movements, lifting his hips to meet hers, their bodies slapping together in a steady beat.
Erika moaned, her head falling back, her hands gripping his shoulders tightly. Iro took advantage of her exposed neck, his lips and teeth trailing along her skin, leaving marks in their wake.
Erika gasped, her nails digging into his skin as he hit a particularly sensitive spot. "Harder, Iro," she panted, her hips moving faster. "Fuck me harder."
Iro growled, flipping them over so that he was on top. He grabbed her legs, pushing them up and back, opening her up to him even more.
He slammed into her, over and over, their bodies coming together with a force that echoed around them. Erika cried out, her back arching as she came, her inner muscles tightening around him. Iro groaned, burying his face in her neck as he followed her over the edge, his body shuddering with release.
They lay there for a moment, their bodies still joined, their breaths coming in ragged gasps. Iro finally pushed himself up, looking down at Erika with a soft smile. "That was... intense," he said, brushing a strand of hair away from her face.
Erika smiled, her eyes still closed, basking in the afterglow. "We should do this more often," she murmured. Iro stiffened. Elizabeth had told him, repeatedly, that she wouldn't mind him having other lovers. But he'd seen the look in her eyes, just briefly, as he and Erika had rushed to the elevator.
"That's an odd thing to say," Iro sighed, "coming from the person who is responsible for us not being able to do this for the past 10 years."
"Hush." She said. "Then maybe just one more time." She said, nuzzling into his hand on her cheek.
"Why do I get the feeling that you are planning to disappear again."
Erika reached up, putting her hand against his bare chest, feeling his heart beat. "I won't disappear. Not completely. I promise you will get the chance to see your daughter."