Page 157 of Dragon Her Heels

And when he became an angel of death, nobody would say a word, and the Lord of Lies would play his part to make certain nobody asked any questions.

Lucifer had believed I would need the year to come to terms with the mean old woman’s loss.

Lucifer was right.

When Donna Leanne’s time came, I would take her ashes out to the deepest part of the ocean and set her free.

She’d told me the wish for her remains not long after confessing the truth of her situation to me.

I’d been delivering eggs and fruit, and I’d returned home that day with a heavy heart and a better understanding of the Devil’s work.

As planned, I rode David, who had been decked out in red and white to at least make it look like we were trying for a wedding rather than a bloodbath. I even rode sidesaddle, all so Yuless could enjoy plucking me off my big horse’s back.

Many little things littering our ceremony were meant to offer us small memories and tiny moments of joy. He wore a classic black suit, as that was what I loved him in the most. The red tie had been Lucifer’s idea, and it worked well for him.

I’d purchased two rings for him, a plain golden band and an infinity band loaded with black diamonds boasting a tendency to reflect the colors of the rainbow, much like him.

Hagnar, in his serpent form, lounged on a pile of cushions, being fed tidbits of fruit and meat from a trio of Nahuatl tribe women from deep within a remote jungle. I had no idea where Lucifer and Gavin had found them, but they had been a morning surprise that had reduced the guardian to tears.

They were rescues, and they would become temple handmaidens in Hagnar’s service.

To them, the golden serpent of fire and light was as sacred as any god.

There was one other surprise lurking in the crowd at the racetrack, revealing there had been more to the Devil’s plan than I could imagine—and that the Lord of the Morning was truly also the Lord of Lies.

I had no idea where they had come from, but the tiny tribe of African people, sixty-seven people strong and displaced due to war, were all distant descendants of the people who had once worshipped Gavin and offered him power everlasting. Unbeknownst to Gavin, they still believed.

Their ancestors had just changed his name to escape death.

I suspected the curse had deafened his ears and blinded his sight, but that would be a problem for me to solve after I finalized my capture of the Destroyer of Georgia and handled my one last sacred duty to Belinda.

Finding a home for an entire tribe of people would be a problem for another day.

Music began to play, a peaceful South American melody better suiting Hagnar’s traditions, the cue for the audience to become seated and the ceremony to begin. Hagnar’s handmaidens settled around him, and I appreciated how they rested their cheeks against his scales, finding comfort in his presence.

In human form, he had that potential.

His true shape embodied peace and the promise of protection.

Lucifer’s family, who had come as everything other than human, took their places near Hagnar.

Gavin, his son, and their family had seats in the front, as Lucifer felt Gavin was better off observing than attempting to once again step into his true role.

With the location of blood descendants of his lost people, he might one day be able to find his place in the world. While nothing remained of his pantheon, he remained a creator-god.

He could bring a new one to life as needed.

The ceremony represented the collision of the old and the new, and I looked forward to discovering what our future would bring.

* * *

I spent two weeks with Yuless at one of Lucifer’s cabins located within his many hells, where a clear stream cut through a steaming landscape laden with jewels. To give Gavin a chance to come to terms with his changed circumstances and Caleb’s mother an opportunity to spend quality time with his other father, Lucifer had made the recommendation for the teen to accompany Aramathea and serve as her hands while hunting for shiny rocks.

Where the pair went, numerous demons and devils, in all shapes, accompanied them, turning Lucifer’s many hells into a lively circus.

Armed with enough gemstones to keep the homestead trucking along for decades without a worry in the world, we returned home long enough to visit the animals, drop off our loot, check on everyone, and collect Belinda’s ashes. Anthony, who had returned to his home with his new herd of horses, met us at the gate wearing a suit I suspected he’d hoped to marry the woman in.

The knowledge they would one day meet again helped.