Page 82 of Dragon Her Heels

He raised a brow and graced me with the requested expression. “Why?”

“The fact there is so much corruption in horse racing that they have to use angels to make certain jockeys who happen to be owners and trainers aren’t cheating extra pisses me off—and because I’m also the owner and trainer, I have to confirm I’m not planning on cheating or have planned to cheat at all. I’ve reviewed the field, and I’m the only person who has to be verified, so the entire lot of them could be cheating for all I know. And frankly, after talking to my teachers, they very probably are. Ethical jockeys are rare.”

“Most of them are just betting on themselves through friends,” Lucifer informed me with a rather crooked grin. “Nobody is actually trying to rig the race this time, which is why I haven’t made any suggestions to have the whole field angelically verified—at least for the jockeys. I have begun tending to the other garden.”

“And how is my new stallion doing?”

“He is in the race due to a drop and the owner’s decision to try his luck. He’s quite miffed that his throwaway horse is challenging him. I trust you were aware that you have to run three races with her with her new name before it’s solo?”

I shrugged. “Technically, she’s running as ‘Alligator Bait formerly known as Fury of the Dawn’ because of those rules, but they’re announcing her as without the formerly known as. Admit it, Lucifer. ‘Alligator Bait, Fury of the Dawn’ is a spectacular name for a racer.”

“It really is. It’s only one more race with her unique identifier before she’s running solely as Alligator Bait.”

“Hey, Lucifer?”

“What?”

“If I win this race, you should pitch a good offer for that stallion for me. Then you can gift him to me as a present. That way, I attack your wallet, force you to do a good deed, and I get to be selfish all at the same time.”

The Devil laughed. “That was the first genuine attempt of being selfish I’ve gotten out of you, so your wish is my command. If that horse is what you want, should you win, that horse is what you shall get. But I warn you, the race will not be easy.”

“They never are. That’s why they’re worth running. And anyway, even when hard, it’s what Alligator Bait wants, so I will go as far as I must to make it happen for her.”

“That’s not at all selfish, but I’ll pretend I didn’t notice. You are right. That filly lives to race, and you will find yourself taking her to the track far more than you prefer.”

That I already knew; the instant I’d begun the process of loading Alligator Bait into the trailer after having hauled her race saddle into the storage bay, she’d become the true definition of an excitable horse.

Until she couldn’t race any longer, I’d be taking her to the track—and after I had to retire her from the track, I’d find another sport for her to participate in. Learning a new discipline would test me, but I refused to give up on my animals. I also refused to discard them when they were no longer useful for racing.

I also refused to turn her into a broodmare, squeezing every last cent out of her.

Once the race ended, I would worry about her future. For now, I’d focus on living in the moment and basking in the glory of the attempt, for better or for worse.

* * *

While the Triple Crown races were what most looked forward to, the Iroquois Stakes started the show. It bagged the competing horse a low number of points and a moderate purse, beginning the grand chase to the Kentucky Derby. As such, the race organizers at Churchill Downs loved gimmicks to draw large crowds.

The Devil, the crowned ruler of all attention whores, basked in the glow of the audience as we gathered to put on a little race between the horses of the heavens and the hells. The heavens had only one entrant, my Aramathea, but the other equine species drew most of the attention.

The Four Horses of the Apocalypse pranced and showed off, wearing parade tack rather than proper racing saddles. One of them would likely be the winner, leaving the unexpected additions, a selection of unicorns in parade gear ridden by their mates to be the probable next placers. Aramathea had plenty of bling on her saddle, but at least someone had given her the right kind.

I worried the glittering gems on her bridle were diamonds.

I did not need a diamond encrusted bridle in my life.

The only way Aramathea might win involved the other competitors stopping at the finish line and waiting for her to catch up.

Hell would freeze over first.

There’d be no purse for the demonstration race, but the audience could place their bets. Like standard races, nobody on the track was eligible to participate, at least not officially.

Everyone except me engaged in playful wagers, the horses included. The ones who couldn’t manage English had a way to communicate with Lucifer, who tracked everything while we waited for the call to line up. Aramathea wanted a trip to visit the Devil’s home so she could hunt for gemstones, and his entire family needed to serve as her hands. The Four Horses wanted to go to Europe on a ride to see the sights. I did my best to ignore the rest of the wagers, as most of them involved debauchery in some fashion or another.

While the announcer began the tedious process of introducing everyone, beginning with Lucifer and then working his way down the line, leaving me and Aramathea last as the odd pair out, representing the heavens. As we lined up, with each horse taking care with hitting their mark, I eyed Isaac, who rode Pestilence as planned. Ashley, astride War, was on his other side.

Heaving a sigh, I decided I’d put in a token entry. “All right, Isaac. I’ll wager with you.”

“Hit me with it. What do you want?”