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
20
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced."
Madripoor, Indonesia July, 2024
THE SUN BARELY PEEKED over the horizon, rays gently gracing the trees lining the mansion. It was an awfully pretty morning for a rather dreadful day. Or well, whatever dread was waiting for them.
Lucy frowned at herself.
Now wasn't a time to be so pessimistic, besides, taking a break from fighting wasn't all so bad. Not really. She turned her head as James stood in front of her. She gazed at him as he inspected her face again. It was the gentle, soft concern that made Lucy feel less alone.
"Is it worse?" She asked, her voice quiet.
James pushed a strand of her hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. He looked at her skin, observed the black streaks shifting across it. Her eyes weren't as blue as they should have been, a deep darkness shifting in them, pupils blown wide.
He let out a breath.
She pursed her lips at his reaction, frown deepening.
"It's not terrible," he said, "but it hasn't gotten better, that's for sure."
He stopped as the sound of footsteps echoing behind them. He turned then, letting his hand fall away from her face. Lucy stepped up beside him as the door to the mansion opened. Klause stood in the doorway, Alpine between his arms. Lucy brightened at the sight of her, holding her arms out. Alpine kicked against Klause, jumping onto her with a happy meow.
Lucy snuggled her face into her cat, clutching her close to her chest.
Klause looked at James, then the vehicle parked a few meters behind them. He gave him a confused look. James opened his mouth to speak when the car honked impatiently. He snapped his eyes to the vehicle, a half-hearted glare on his face as Zemo sat behind the wheel.
His annoyed expression left him as he felt discomfort shift in the pit of his stomach.
"Is it okay if I stay for a little bit?" Lucy asked.
Klause inclined his head.
"Of course, Miss." He paused. "Is– is something wrong?"
James gave him a thin-lipped smile.
"This is a safe place." He said, pausing. "Safer than anywhere else in Madripoor. If anything goes wrong, Lucy will have access to a hospital."
