Page 87 of Dragon Her Heels

TWENTY

Once again, I owed Yuless, and I owed him far more than just a damned pie.

Within a matter of three hours, the authority in charge of regulating the horse racing industry issued a statement, formally ejected Mr. Gerald Harthing from the season, and gave the owner a choice. As his first option, he could surrender Elegance in Moonlight to the authority and accept a refund of his entry fees, including for the Iroquois Stakes, along with his two season ban from participation in any stakes races the authority oversaw. For his second option, he could face a lifetime ban from participation in any stakes races the authority oversaw and no horse he bred would be eligible to be raced for a period of ten years.

Before we even had a chance to leave Churchill Downs, I became the rightful owner of the stallion who otherwise would have faced a fracture and misery. I sent the payment to cover Mr. Harthing’s entry fees, and I refused to feel a scrap of guilt over taking advantage of the situation to take ownership of the black stallion with a half star blaze on his brow. Telltale signs of mistreatment hampered the handover, requiring me to spend an hour calming the stallion.

Alligator Bait had him beat in height by a quarter of a hand, making him the second largest horse of the race.

My first act as his owner involved flagging down one of the track vets and requesting an X-ray of his legs.

The authority had noticed the stallion flicking his head more than they preferred, which could indicate some form of injury.

Sure enough, the tiniest of fractures had already formed. Something about the scan bothered the vet enough he called for an angel to verify the age of the injury.

The same angel who had verified my innocence spent half an hour soothing the stallion while I hovered nearby. Fortunately for my sanity, Yuless had claimed Alligator Bait, promised Lucifer and his merry band of equines would stand guard, and congratulated me on a great race.

I’d appreciated that, and I meant to pull him aside at the first opportunity to thank him.

His work made a huge difference to my ability to race.

I narrowed my eyes while observing the angel run his hands down my new stallion’s legs. After I made certain my new equine child was appropriately cared for, I would add a little twist to my life and put my money where my mouth was, recruit Lucifer to find me a baker to teach me how to make pies, and do my best to avoid poisoning anybody.

After witnessing how badly everyone else in my life struggled with baking a damned pie, I needed to prove I could follow instructions, handle my oven, and turn the bounty of my orchard into a delicious treat. I’d level the playing field, however, and use a premade crust like everybody else.

“This horse was beaten with a metal rod for being disobedient. While the owner is not the one who struck him, he was the one who issued the order to have him hit. This did not happen here, but rather at a private training ground. He has been in moderate pain since the incident, which occurred early yesterday.”

“He arrived yesterday evening,” the vet replied before glancing my way. “I’m the general intake vet for all horses who race here, and it’s my job to do basic checks. This fracture is so minor right now that there isn’t enough noticeable heat or swelling to trigger an X-ray recommendation. Your horse was checked while you were racing in the divines’ demonstration with your groom supervising.”

Once again, I owed Yuless, and I owed him far more than just a damned pie. “Thank you for letting me know.”

“You’re welcome. Call me Dr. Earl, everybody does. So, this level of injury is treatable, especially since it was caught early. Unless you pay for angelic intervention, he’s looking at six months to fully heal, and it will involve a great deal of stall rest. He will not be eligible to race this season even if he hadn’t been disqualified due to his owner’s behavior.”

Technically, I could qualify him as his new owner, but I wouldn’t, not with a fracture of any sort. “Mr. Angel, how much would it be to heal this fracture?”

“You may call me Zach,” the angel replied, and he made a thoughtful sound. “Adopt a horse from a slaughter market in poor health, and I will handle this working for you.”

Well, that would horribly burden me. Not. “I’ll even allow you to pick the market of your choice. Why don’t I cut you a check sufficient to pay the purchase fee and the transport fee, and you can select the horse for me? It’s not like I’m going to be at all caring about the horse’s origins and perceived value. The animal will be a spoiled pasture prince or princess. If there is a mare with foal, I would prefer to bail them out first.”

“Bargain struck. Rather than have you cut a check, I will send an invoice to you when a suitable animal has been acquired and notify you of the animal’s arrival.”

“If the animal is too weak to be transported, I will pay a local rehabilitation group to get the horse ready for transport.”

“Then we are agreed. Please do use a mild sedative on him, Dr. Earl. He is already in pain, and while the fracture is minor, it will still hurt. The actual healing process will take no more than five minutes with this severity, but he will buck should we attempt this while he is awake.”

Dr. Earl went to his bag, rummaged through it, and pulled out a vial and a sterile syringe, which he unwrapped and went to work filling. Within twenty minutes, the stallion dozed, and I amused myself through playing with the animal’s limp lip.

When I’d learned a sedated horse had limp lower lips, which could be played with, I’d developed a tendency to fiddle with my animal. As penance for being easily entertained, I made certain to keep an eye on the horse as they woke up, as they couldn’t eat or drink for at least an hour after being roused.

I preferred to wait two.

I’d seen a horse choke once due to somebody’s impatience, and I never wished to witness such a thing ever again. Fortunately, the horse had survived, but I counted myself scarred as a result.

Once Dr. Earl confirmed the horse should be safe to work with, Zach rested his hands on the stallion’s foreleg. Blue fire swept over the dark coat, crackling in the air before gradually sinking into the horse’s flesh. After the promised five minutes, the angel rose and patted Elegance in Moonlight on the shoulder. “My work is finished. Please X-ray to confirm the fracture has been addressed.”

Dr. Earl went to work, and sure enough, there was no sign the bone had been cracked in the first place. “Thank you, Zach. It’s appreciated. Do you want to handle the medical update with the authority?”

“I shall take care of such matters and inform them that Miss Culling owes a debt to rescue a horse in dire straits or to pluck a mare and foal from certain death.” The angel waved before heading off, leaving me with Dr. Earl.