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
34
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"Children see magic because they look for it."
Riga, Latvia August, 2024
WHEN SHE FOUND JAMES, her eyes were dried of tears and salty tracks that stained her cheeks. Her skin was puffy and swollen, mottled red around her eyes. She let her eyes focus in the darkness, the crown on her head dissolving, cloak dissipating in an instant. The building James had returned to was a small hotel. It was a smaller area that was less desirable for tourists.
It was inconspicuous, safe– less dangerous than a mainstream hotel. She hesitated in the dark, her finger falling away from the light switch. Light from the moon shone through the window, and that was enough for Lucy.
Because the sight before her was too precious for her to interrupt.
James was sitting on one of the hotel beds, his back leaning against the wood behind him. Alpine was in his lap, curled up with her tail moving softly. His eyes were closed, his breath rising and falling at a slow pace. He was obviously asleep, his shoulders too relaxed for it to be anything else. Lucy wouldn't deny the fact that James was adorable just by himself.
But he wasn't.
Tucked into his side was Angeliko, the little boy she had painfully departed from. He was curled up on his side, a blanket tucked up and over his shoulders. He was holding onto James's metal arm, his mouth open as he drooled in his sleep. The kid felt safe with James, and that was– that was good.
Lucy quietly turned around, closing the window she'd flown in through. Her footsteps were silent as she approached the edge of the bed. She kneeled to the side, hand hovering over Angeliko's moppy mess of hair. She wanted to hold him, hug him, ask him if he was okay.
She let her hand fall away.
She had no right to do that– she would probably make him afraid, anyway. As she withdrew her hand she felt something tiny and warm wrap around her fingers. She blinked, confused to see Angeliko had pried his eyes open, a little yawn escaping him as he rolled over to look at her.
How did he know she was here?
She had been deathly silent.
Angeliko gave her a little smile.
He didn't let go of her fingers as his eyes fell shut again. He yawned a second time, before poking James in the side with his other hand, eyes still closed. Lucy heard James shift on the bed, and she lifted her head to gaze at him.
