Iris

ACT TEN - The Deal

Characters: Iris Ash, demon, Odrithin, Sara

Iris hurries down a bustling city street, hands jammed in her pockets and her shoulders hunched. She slows at an alleyway, glances around, and turns down it.

She continues to walk until she reaches a large red door set in the wall of a plain brick building. Trying the handle, she finds it locked. Taking a deep breath, she knocks loudly three times.

Only a second or so passes before the door is opened by a stony faced man with completely black eyes. The demon steps aside to allow her entry once he sees who she is. The two never take their wary gazes off of one another as Iris enters.

The hallway she steps into is run-down, with old, dusty furniture lining the baseboards and peeling paint covering on the walls. It had obviously once been illustrious, but has since lost its grandeur. Iris turns to face the demon.

IRIS: [businesslike] I'd like to see my father, please.

DEMON: [sneering] And what says he'll want to see you?

Iris doesn't miss a beat. She gingerly removes a flask from inside her sweatshirt with a cross indented on it - holy water. She holds it out away from her carefully between two fingers. Her businesslike demeanor changes quickly from cool to hostile.

IRIS: This does.

The demon stares at it for a moment distastefully, with slight fear in his eyes, before nodding and gesturing for her to follow him. Iris tucks the holy water into her jacket pocket as she does so.

The pair walks down the hallway and stop in front of a pair of large red doors. This doorway stands out since it is the only brightly painted thing in the entire building. The red is a vibrant shade of scarlet, and isn't chipping like the paint on the walls.

DEMON: Wait here.

He pushes his way into the room and closes the door behind him. Iris waits only a second before pressing her ear to one of the doors. She can faintly hear her father and the demon talking.

DEMON: Sir, your daughter is here. [slightly awed] You were correct.

ODRITHIN: [snapping] Of course I was. I may have only met her a few days ago, but I already know my daughter is predictable - she'll do anything for...what's your name again, dear?

SARA: [coldly furious] Sara.

ODRITHIN: [casually] That's right. Sara. And I can tell that Iris isn't stupid, which is how I knew that she would figure out how to activate the card that I left her. [raising his voice] You can come in now, dear, and stop eavesdropping.

Iris jerks back from the door in surprise and takes a deep, steadying breath before hesitantly entering the room.

Unlike the hallway outside, this room is beautifully furnished. A fireplace crackles in the corner with a plush loveseat and a couple of cozy armchairs sitting in front of it. Gorgeous paintings and tapestries line the walls, and Odrithin himself is sitting behind a large mahogany desk, his fingers laced together atop it. The nameless demon is standing in front of the desk, turned back to face Iris as she enters. Sara is chained to the back wall, her arms above her heads, in an even worse state than when Iris saw her last. She is breathing heavily and watching her best friend enter with wide, shocked eyes.

ODRITHIN: [smiling] Hello, dear. Welcome to my lovely palace. I trust the ride here was bearable?

Iris says nothing, instead staring at him with pure rage and hatred.

ODRITHIN: [casually] Have you finally come to your senses? Are you prepared to join me?

Iris looks incredibly pained as she forces out the single word.

IRIS: Yes.

Odrithin smiles and starts to speak, but is quickly interrupted by Iris.

IRIS: On a few conditions.

Odrithin says nothing, instead leaning back in his chair and waiting silently.

IRIS: You have to release Sara and return her - unharmed - back to the Night Plague.

Sara glances wildly from Odrithin to Iris. Odrithin continues to listen silently.

IRIS: You never approach the Night Plague again unless it is to help them. And don't pretend that you're there for "good intentions." Either you're there to help or you're there to hurt, and I won't have you hurting my family again. Finally, I don't want you to ever participate in another deal that results in a child...[looking pained] like me. I don't want you to ever help in the making of another person.

ODRITHIN: [raising eyebrows and staring at desk] That, I cannot control. If someone manages to summon me, I am forced to do their bidding.

Iris takes a deep breath, refusing to be thrown off.

IRIS: Then the other two items? Are we clear?

ODRITHIN: [dryly] Crystal.

He snaps his fingers and a document filled with small print appears on the desk in front of him, facing Iris.

ODRITHIN: Read over this and sign at the bottom.

Iris strides across the room and grabs a pen from the pencil holder, about to sign. Odrithin leans forward slightly.

ODRITHIN: [warningly, quietly] Read carefully, girl. Us demons do not make deals lightly, and you shouldn't either.

Iris glances up at him but says nothing. She scans the paper, not heeding his warning, and then lowers her pen to the paper to sign. Odrithin leans back with raised eyebrows but says nothing to stop her.

All this time, Sara has been glancing around at everyone, her gaze growing increasingly more frantic. Suddenly, she lunges forward, although her binds somewhat restrict the movement.

SARA: [desperately] Wait!

Everyone freezes. Slowly, Iris turns to Sara, her steely expression growing soft.

IRIS: [comfortingly] Sara, it's okay. You're going to be safe soon.

SARA: [angrily] Yeah, but without you, you idiot! [desperately] How can you even consider working with him? He's a madman! Don't you know what he wants? He's going to use you to - to destroy everything!

Iris glances quickly at Odrithin, stunned. Cold rage seeps over her father's features. He stands, strolls over to Sara, and raises a hand to strike her.

Iris is in front of him far more quickly than a human could have moved, raising an arm so that she deflects her father's strike.

IRIS: [gritting teeth] We have a little more to discuss, it seems.