BOOK 4 of the ORPHIC Series
DISENTHRALL
/ˌdisənˈTHrôl/
set free.
~~~~~
When Lucille 'Lucy' Opal Baker starts adjusting to a world without Captain America and more government therapy sessions...
T H E F A L C O N A N D T H E W I N T E R S O L D I E R
4
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"Symbolism exists to adorn and enrich, not to create an artificial sense of profundity."
Brooklyn, New York July, 2024
SHE AWOKE TO THE DOOR slamming shut. Lucy groaned, rolling over as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She felt for James besides her, but found the space empty. The sleep left her quickly than, almost instinctively as she sat up. Alpine was pawing at the door, meowing sadly. Lucy squinted in the dark, looking at the chain lock that swayed slightly, before stilling completely. Alpine padded back over to her, walking around in a small circle before settling into Lucy's lap.
She stared at the door, watching, before a long breath left her lips. She waved a hand, the lights in the living room flicking on. The couch was slightly shoved out of place, like James had gotten up in a hurry. His gloves were gone, and so was his leather jacket.
She rubbed her temples.
He was either walking around outside to catch some air, or was doing something reckless again. Whichever one it was, Lucy was too exhausted to chase after him. Her abilities might have been back to normal, but her physical capabilities were not as strong as they used to be.
She turned over, feeling for her phone, before grabbing it. She blinked at the screen, letting the device scan her face before she unlocked it. She stared at the notifications from Sam, all texts about his day and what he'd done earlier.
Lucy ignored them, going to look at her contacts instead.
Jack's name stared at her in the dark.
So did Sam's.
One knew their situation more deeply than the other.
She clicked on Jack's name.
She listened to the phone ring, the sound familiar in her ears. She waited, patiently, frowning only when the phone stopped ringing, no one picking up. Her finger hovered over the contact name again, before she stopped, shaking her head to herself. She didn't need to bother Jack right now.
Her eyes flicked to the dark TV screen.
She waved her hand, and the remote flew into her palm. She clicked the TV on, watching as an old replay of a movie started. She didn't find it very interesting, but let it remain on anyway. She placed the remote next to her, running her hand through Alpine's hair.
There was a pause.
Her phone started to ring and Lucy jumped as the sound. She grasped it, looking at the contact name that stared at her. She really hadn't meant to bother Jack, but. . .if he was calling her back–
