[ COMPLETED ]
German Translations Provided By @vanessanats
BOOK 1 of the ORPHIC series
ZEITGEIST
/ˈtsītˌɡīst,ˈzītˌɡīst/
the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time.
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"I've never met a strong person with an easy past."
Malibu, California May, 2010
VERFALL STARED AT THE CEILING in her bedroom, her phone ringing sharply against her desk. She exhaled loudly at the sound, letting the phone continue it's incessant ringing. Her back was flat against the floor, her arms splayed wide like she was in the middle of making a snow angel. In her decision to protect Stark, she'd completely forgotten the dangers of camera's, of what could see her- of who could see her.
And now they were talking about her over the news, a mysterious security guard who saved Monaco alongside Stark- which wasn't true at all.
Stark did most of the saving.
Her phone grew silent, and she let out another long breath, her nerves cooling, even as her stomach tumbled uncomfortably within her gut. It was the second time her phone had gone on ringing. She didn't know if it was the Commander, Agent Rollins, or even Sasha.
Sasha would've been watching the news as well.
He would've seen her and. . .nothing good was waiting for her. Nothing at all. She'd already messed up and she was blatantly ignoring him-
Her phone started ringing again.
She finally drew herself upwards, sitting in a kneeling position with her hair failing into her face. She ran a hand over her forehead, eyes wet with muted resignation as she slumped onto her hands, reaching for her phone blindly.
She grasped it and placed it beside her ear.
"Verfall."
She leaned against her desk, pulling her knees to her chest.
Her hands trembled around the device.
"Hello." She couldn't help the small quiver in her voice. "I'm sorry I meant to pick up but I didn't- and I'm- scared. It was my fault- I um-"
She inhaled sharply, staring up at the ceiling.
She could hear his steady breathing on the other side.
"That's okay, Verfall. I'm not upset. I'm going to give you until the Stark Expo. Just a few days, okay?" Sasha's voice was soft and comforting, just as it always was. "Then you don't need to think. You can go back to cryo. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"
Verfall rubbed her temples, a mix of relief and terror swirling in her chest. He was either telling the truth, or telling a lie to give her a sense of security, until he'd meet her with consequences.
