“I agree. And I will let you go, though you didn’t ask for that. We race tomorrow night at midnight.”
“The practice track at Byahouga Downs.” I named a small county fair track as close to equidistant as I was going to get from my farm and this place.
“And I can choose any horse?” Cameron’s eyes gleamed.
“Save for the one that I’ve selected for my jockey, yes.” I knew my girl Brie, just from meeting her and that mare of hers had magic. Perhaps their connections lacked the money necessary to run in the big races when the mare had been eligible. If she had, I knew there’d be another champion that the history books would praise forever.
“Very well. I trust you saw the names in my barn.”
That’d he’d run the champions without their owners or trainers’ permissions seemed par for the course. “I made the wager. I won’t go back on my word now.”
“Of course, you wouldn’t.” He nodded to the door. “Go. You will not be harmed.”
“Thank you.” I walked out of there, shoulders head high. I kept walking, down the driveway, along the highway until the atrocious scent no longer filled the air or my nostrils. I looked at the cloudless sky, the stars twinkling overhead. Wherever my love was, I needed her power and protection more than ever. I had to trust that though she’d be on Rota, she’d also be with me. And barring that, I was the goddess of horses. I had no doubt that Brie and her mare could top any horse, no matter how pumped full of drugs or chemicals Cameron wanted to give it. I’d seen the horses in the barn, the people taken and used as props. It’d take all my skin to win, but for them, I had to.
Chapter 11
The track lights glowed eerily against the fog settling over the course. I’d pulled a few strings to get a night work out in, and I noticed a small crowd gathering in the standing area next to the track rail. Mostly overnight janitors and security guards wanting to see the show. Not that I blamed them. Though not billed at a match race and not on an afternoon’s race card, something like this had to be as exciting as any race in recent history. Brie waited with Lady in the barn. Kel remained with her, mostly because she might be the only one on my staff able to detect Unseelie trickery. One of our companion ponies stood in the stall next to her to keep this from being truly out of the ordinary.
I stared at the track without its starting gate or officials. No screaming fans filled the bleachers or standing room area clamoring for a race. Win. Place. Show. That mattered here on the track. We had to win. Coming in second meant losing more than this race. It meant losing the war.
Cameron stood a distance away, not close enough to talk and out of the range of most magics. I watched him for a moment, so calm and collected in his Unseelie way. Though he proposed a destruction on the level this continent hadn’t seen, a toppling of the order and bringing about chaos and pain, he stood quietly in his designer suit. Even in this lighting the tailoring and fabric shimmered with quality. At least Callan hadn’t come with him, though I hadn’t seen, or heard of, the other fae since my incursion into the company started. Perhaps he knew better than to come face-to-face with me.
The time on my cell read fifteen minutes to midnight. Turning, I strode back to the barn to find Lady saddled and Brie dressed in the silks I’d given her and her helmet already fastened. “Ready boss?” She smiled, all confidence.
“Yeah. I am.”
Kel waited until Brie had Lady’s reins in hand before opening the stall door. The mare walked out with long, loose strides. Kel closed the stall, then fell into step beside them. I walked to Kel’s left.
“Do you know who he’s bringing?”
I shook my head. “Does it matter?”
“I suppose not, but he had some heavy hitters in that barn.”
“You don’t know who I’m going to be racing against?” Brie asked. She worried her lower lip.
“I don’t, but it doesn’t matter.” I pushed with my goddess energy, giving her more confidence. “You and Lady got this. Tyche sent you to me, did she not?”
Brie nodded, visibly relaxing. “She did. And you’re right.”
Of course I’m right. I’m a goddess. We made it to the edge of the track and waited.
From another barn, Cameron led a leggy bay stallion to the track. He pranced on the end of his lead. “Warm him up and then we’ll line up at the quarter pole.” He pointed to a pole painted red and white. “That acceptable to you?” He turned and faced me.
“It is.” I offered Brie a leg up. “Remember, you’ve got this,” I told her, then stepped aside for her to enter the track. She worked along the rail, trotting down to the people watching and then turning and cantering back to the pole. Lady behaved impeccably while the stallion sorted and shook his head, clearly not happy at being there or being out at this time of night.
Lady lined up at the pole, followed by the stallion. I recognized him as one of the three year old champion horses at the peak of his game. For the first time since making the wager my heart fell. Lady couldn’t hope to match the stud’s speed, except her calm focused demeanor meant she didn’t use up energy getting upset before the race.
“You weren’t going to run this without me.” Flora sauntered to us. “I brought the starter’s pistol.” She wore a sleek black suit form fitted to each curve. Her alabaster skin glowed under the lights and I detected a hint of magic around her.
“Flora, however did you
