Page 156 of Dragon Her Heels

“You weren’t going to tear a boy from his mother, more like,” Yuless muttered.

Lucifer scowled.

“I thought you had taken him to shepherd him,” Gavin confessed, and a long and slow breath of air escaped his body.

I wondered how deep the pain had run for it to release in such a strained sound.

“I would never have robbed you of being with your child in his last moments. I would have shepherded him, as would my father and Azrael; we will never abandon any of your children. We have never left any of your women in the valley alone, either. We never will, when their time on the mortal coil comes to a close.” Lucifer reached out and clasped Gavin’s shoulder. “If I could have helped you sooner, I would have.”

For a long while, the divine remained silent before he asked, “How can I repay you?”

“Actually, there is something you can do: invite Caleb’s grandmother to the wedding along with the rest of the family. That would be helpful. It is time for Hagnar’s haven to be moved to a place where his node can replenish itself and thrive. A new node will one day take its place there, but his needs to come to Florida for a while.”

“I was once a god of creation,” Gavin replied in a gentle voice. “I still am a god of creation, although I no longer have the faithful to create anything for. They perished long ago.” His gaze settled on Hagnar. “If your haven needs to be moved, I can move it. If you require a new node to take the old one’s place, I can will that to life as well.”

“You also do not interfere with mortal affairs,” Lucifer chided, albeit in a gentle tone. “But if you wish to breathe life into the new node, I would be appreciative. That is not a mortal affair. But Hagnar, despite the circumstances of his creation, is mortal.”

Caleb’s eyes widened. “If Grandmother comes, she’ll owe more fines. She always owes more fines when she goes anywhere. Other Dad is not going to be happy if Grandmother owes more fines.”

Gavin snickered. “You let me worry about your other father and your grandmother. If you want to go to the wedding, I have no problem with going to the wedding. I’m sure it will be fine.”

I sighed and shook my head. “You are in for quite the surprise. Just don’t tell us we didn’t warn you.”

* * *

A host of angels converted the racetrack to a wedding venue in record time. I questioned the usage of belladonna and daffodils as the flowers of choice, especially as there were numerous beings who would die, rather rapidly, should the toxic plants be consumed. As such, I started my day with wards to prevent anyone from consuming any belladonna.

Well, except for races that viewed the plant as tasty treats.

Zenzi loved belladonna and wanted to eat every bloom to cross her path.

There were more than a few races present who considered belladonna to be delicious.

Rather than wear white, I’d selected red for my dress, and I’d gone with blonde hair for the ceremony, which Darlene had piled onto my head in fancy curls Yuless would surely destroy the instant he was let off his leash. The lingerie, which consisted of scraps of lace posing as underwear, would amuse him for ten seconds before they fell to his eager ways.

“Are you sure you’re okay with not walking me down the aisle, Dad?” I asked for the sixth time.

“Girl, I get to ride Aramathea. I do not have a problem with this. Your mother is riding Zenzi. She also does not have a problem with this. I am questioning why you’re riding David rather than Alligator Bait, however.”

“Lucifer just restored David’s balls, and David needs to relearn some manners. If I’m riding him, he remembers his manners. He will be an immaculate stallion, but that’s going to take a few weeks. Apparently, David’s genetic test came back clear of every single ailment Clydesdales can have, he is the perfect example of the breed, and gelding him may as well have been criminal in the Devil’s eyes. At that stage, I just let him make off with my horse. It did help that he brought my stud back to me with a mare who should toss some beautiful foals. David did have one key adjustment when he was gifted back his balls.”

“That he only produces female sperm is a little strange,” my father admitted.

“It’s brilliant, because it means his bloodline cannot over infiltrate the breed. I’ll pick the mares he breeds with carefully, and I’ll help the Clydesdales that way.”

“And your new mare is also clear of genetic issues?”

“She is,” I confirmed. “She came from a conservancy breeder who had left the show world decades ago, bred as part of their program. My homestead will have two proper purposes.”

“You mean three. I’ve heard about your intention to turn it into a rescue. And I don’t mean of animals.”

I shrugged. “My rescue has pretty strict requirements to get in. Either Lucifer is asking me for help or the poor bastard lives down my street and needs a place to land.”

Upon learning how Lucifer had gotten so many acres, I’d burst into tears. He’d gone to every house around the lake, offering to buy out the properties and charging them the value of their property taxes and utilities in rent.

In a few cases, he hadn’t charged them at all for staying in the homes.

While I had changed the fate—and lifespans—of many in my path, I had made the painful choice to allow the cycle of life and death to continue, uninterrupted, down the street. Donna Leanne had cancer, and she would only live for another year. The old lecher across the way had stepped up upon learning this, and her year would be in as painless a state as he could make it.