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Unlike her, Teague’s hellhorse wasn’t at all restless. It held itself tall and still, oozing self-assurance. Most of its competitors, on the other hand, nervously swished their tails or scraped a hoof at the earth.
Her own demon was very close to the surface, so eager for the race to begin that it practically bounced on the spot with anticipation. It wasn’t worried for their mate. Nor was it bothered by how utterly inhumane the obstacles and ditches were. In the entity’s opinion, the more sadistic they were, the better. And it had every confidence that Teague’s demon would not only escape relatively unscathed but prevail.
Larkin slid the imp beside her a quick look. “Sometimes, I don’t know why Teague’s beast persists in putting itself through this again and again. Then I remember it probably wouldn’t do it at all if it wasn’t for the risky hurdles.”
As edgy as Larkin, Khloë tipped back her glass to drink some of her champagne. “The demon is an official danger junkie. It likes to live life on the edge in just about every way possible.”
Larkin blinked. “You say that with perfect understanding.”
The imp gave a slight shrug. “Danger spices things up.”
“Injuries don’t. And his beast always walks away with plenty after these damn races.”
Khloë grimaced. “Yeah, I don’t like that part. It’s why I get nervous.”
Asher toddled over and planted his palms on the glass wall. “I wanna go down there.” He looked up at Maddox expectantly . . . as if the male would obligingly teleport him to the track. The little boy thankfully couldn’t pyroport that far away.
An arm draped around Raini’s shoulders, Maddox peered down at Asher. “Why?”
“To ride a horsey,” the boy told him.
Sighing from her spot on the chic leather seating, Harper cut in, “Kid, we’ve been over this—you can’t ride a hellhorse. They don’t let people ride them.”
That wasn’t strictly true. If they wholeheartedly trusted a person, they’d allow it. Teague’s beast had given Larkin a ride around his land multiple times.
Tossing an empty paper plate in the trash, Piper looked at Harper. “Have you not considered just buying him a pony or something?”
“I thought about it.” Harper bit into a spring roll she’d nabbed from the buffet table. “But since he’s going through a phase of setting his toys on fire when he’s bored with them, I figured I’d better not.”
Gently bouncing her daughter on her lap, Devon grinned and said, “That’s a typical imp phase.”
Raini nodded, sucking milkshake through a straw. “He’s probably copying the other kids.”
A crackle of static came over the intercom, and then a male voice announced that the race would now start.
Every cell of Larkin’s body tensed. The hellhorses went motionless. All the spectators in the stadium fell silent.
Moments later, a horn loudly rang out.
The steeds pitched forward as one and rocketed along the track, their hooves kicking up dust and grass. They crossed the individual lanes and gathered into a tight herd. Teague’s beast didn’t bolt straight to first place, though Larkin would bet it could. Instead, it settled in the center of the herd and kept its pace steady.
Khloë blew out a breath. “That’s it, go easy, you got nothing to prove.”
Larkin heard hinges creak behind her. Heard soft footfalls—rhythms she recognized as those belonging to Knox and the male sentinels. She didn’t look away from the racing steeds.
Hellhorses were mesmerizing when in motion. Their sleek muscles rippled, their powerful legs were a blur of movement, and their lush manes fluttered with the astonishing speed at which they ran.
The stadium echoed with the thunder of hooves, the rapid commentary coming over the loudspeaker, and the shouting of the spectators.
“Here comes the first hurdle,” said Keenan, walking over to stand behind his mate. “And it’s on fire.”
Devon groaned. “I almost don’t want to watch.”
Feeling her stomach wind tighter and tighter as the steeds neared the obstacle, Larkin bit down on her lip. And then they were there.
Timing the jump just right, Teague’s hellhorse leaped over the eight-foot wall, neatly avoiding contact with the flames, and cleared the ditch of lava.
A few others weren’t so lucky—the fire grazed their underbelly, charring their coat and skin. Still, they didn’t fall. They kept running hard and fast.
Levi hummed. “That went smoother than I thought it would.”
“Not sure we’ll be able to say the same for the next hurdle,” said Piper, chewing on her thumb. “Look at it.”
Oh, Larkin was looking. Snakes were writhing all over the wall. Big-ass snakes that appeared somewhat keyed-up.
Again, Teague’s beast leaped high. A snake lurched toward him, snapping its jaw closed, missing the steed’s leg by mere inches. The stallion easily cleared the wall and forged on ahead.
Another steed got bit right on its flank as it jumped. Larkin winced. Maybe it was the surprise, maybe it was the pain, but though the hellhorse avoided the lava ditch, it landed awkwardly on the track. As its foreleg crumpled beneath it, it went ass over tit.
