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HER BREATHS WERE fast-paced, irregular, and uncontrolled. It was freezing in her bedroom but the air around her grew hotter and seemed to swallow Thea whole as she placed one hand on her heaving chest. Beads of sweat dotted her upper lip and a quick swipe of her hand dried her skin.
A sudden knock startled her but it couldn't be more nerve-wracking than the next few hours of her life.
"Hey, do you think they have shrimp cocktail on the plane? I've always wanted to try it— also, Peter's been in the bathroom forever, you think he's peeing out an ocean."
Hearing Bex's casual voice calmed her down. Thea got up, grabbing a tissue from the box of Kleenex propped up on her nightstand. She dabbed her face incessantly, trying to mop up any semblance of the anxiety attack that seized her. Her hands raked through her silver-gold locks and she watched a deep brown creep from her roots to darken the Sovrani white hair. It was a new spell she had developed when box dye became to messy. Once she was sure it was gone, she opened the door, revealing Bex clad in a black tunic that wrapped around her body tightly. The color was so dark, it was hard to notice the subtle hues of midnight blue until the sunlight struck better. Pieces of leather adorned her collar and the cuffs of the sleeves where fat, black laces dangled. Her long, sleek dark hair had been gathered into an impressively high ponytail, a few braids creeping up on the right side of her head.
"I'm not wearing the helmet," Bex sighed, restraining a yawn. She pinched the asymmetric hem of the tunic. "But I'm digging this."
"Looks good," Thea commended. She turned towards her small desk stuffed with homework and books that were pushed to the depths of her priorities. Her fingers lifted the lid of an engraved wooden box depicting images of fish and foxes, wolves, and unicorns.
"I made this for you," she began softly, pulling out a small ornament. Three dragon heads connected in a circle, the detail so impeccable, it made Bex's jaw drop in amazement.
She was almost hesitant to touch it and stood perfectly still as Thea quietly pinned it to the collar of her tunic. The silver fit well with the Sovrani style of the outfit and for a second, Bex felt authentic.
She smiled and looked up at Thea. "Wheels up in ten."
"You were just waiting to say that, weren't you?"
"Let me have this, please?"
There was no need to pack a huge suitcase for what was expected to be a thirty-minute deal in Madripoor.
Doctor Strange—which is what Thea got around to calling him— had told her two things when he revealed the dangerous location of the Valoqar and their leader, the Stormcrow— one, get in and get out. Two, familiarize herself with Bitcoin.
Thea sunk into the plush leather seat of the Stark Industries jet carrying her, Peter, Bex, and Sera up into the sky. They had been traveling for nearly a day and technically the jet could've flown to the city-state in half the time but stealth was key. Tony had only two rules when she asked to borrow his company's plane— no international mischief and no scorch marks on his luxury Italian leather seats.
