"Wait... are you saying you play cards with Death?" I paused, a forkful of delicate almond cake halfway to my mouth. "Like Death death?"

Lucifer grinned at my reaction over the rim of his wine glass. "Yes, Olivia. And the other Horsemen."

I put my fork down, dessert forgotten. "Horsemen? Of the Apocalypse?"

"Yes." Lucifer sipped before setting the glass down gently. "Why does that perplex you? You are a mortal woman who dates the Devil. What could possibly surprise you after that?"

I blinked. "Yes, I suppose you're right. But, still..."

"Angels, Fallen or otherwise, aren't the only supernatural beings, Olivia," Azza chimed in, grinning at me. He, too, was as amused by my shock as Lucifer.

I glanced from one of my loves to the other, both Fallen Angels I cherished deeply. As all angels were, Azza was beautiful with brown hair, hazel eyes, and sun-tanned skin. When he unfurled his wings, they were pearlescent white. He looked amazing in his off-day faded jeans with worn-through knees and tight t-shirt I knew was petal-soft. He Fell after being a Watcher; set to be a Judger of Men, he also became a lover of women. The former, God insisted on, the latter, He could not abide. And so Azza was cast out by Him, along with Lucifer and their brethren.

Lucifer was as refined as Azza was rugged. His jet-black hair was cut short compared to Azza's somewhat unruly curls, his eyes were the color of the sky on a cool spring afternoon, and his skin was healthy but less tan. Lucifer's wings, while they also shimmered with a layer of iridescence, were raven black when he chose to show them. As usual, he wore a bespoke suit, a crisp shirt with French cuffs and starched collar, paired with expensive Italian leather shoes. His button-up was slightly open at the neck, and while I couldn't see them, I knew if I peeled that cloth away just a little, I'd find the tattoos threatening to entwine themselves around his neck peeking out from under his oh-so-soft undershirt. The thought caused me to squirm in my chair.

I picked up my fork again and marveled at the amaretto-soaked cake Lucifer had brought home. I was sure it was straight from Hell's shelves of Irrefutable Temptations. It paired well with the rich, dark coffee Azza had made for the two of us. Lucifer had decided to stick with the hell-wine from the never-empty bottle sitting on the table. It was an excellent vintage; Lucifer assured me it rivaled even His wine in Heaven.

I had to admit his logic was sound. I was dating the Devil. What could shock me after that? "Okay, you play cards with the Four Horsemen. How in the Hell did that come about? Aren't they God's creatures?"

"You forget, Olivia, Azza and I were once His creatures, too. We have known all the incarnations of the four of them for... well, it seems like forever," Lucifer leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers as his elbows rested on the arms.

Azza sipped his coffee. "Personally, I can't help but wonder if He allows it just to try and keep tabs on us."

"Quite possible. But, in the end, we are all friends who like a good game of five-card stud a few times a year." Lucifer nodded.

"So, I guess this means I'm on my own this Saturday then?" I pushed away the rest of the cake in favor of the coffee.

"Not entirely," Lucifer said, standing to begin to gather the dinner dishes. "We usually go out to eat first. You're welcome to join us. Though, they probably will not offer appropriate company for Deirdre."

I looked at my phone to check the time. "Speaking of, that daughter of mine should be home any minute."

Deirdre was a miracle, literally. She was returned to me after her death due to a deal I made with Lucifer. I had collected the corrupted Seven Virtues—Hope, Faith, Temperance, Justice, Courage, Charity, and Prudence—for him as part of a test to reestablish him as the Devil and rule Hell. In return for my work, I won my soul back from him that I had initially bargained away to have Deirdre in the first place. I had insisted I get Deirdre returned, too, when he offered me the second deal, and he had agreed. Unbeknownst to me at the time, he paid a high price to Him for her, but he followed through and kept his end of the bargain. How could Satan do anything less? Deals were his livelihood.

These days, the professional tutor, Mrs. Hamilton, homeschooled Deirdre. The spunky older woman also took her to weekly art classes at the nearby community college. It wasn't a mother's exaggeration to say Deirdre was incredibly talented. Her class' professor had shared her work with a local gallery colleague, and he had been impressed. Now my young daughter was going to celebrate her debut in the next show. She was working furiously to get her current project done in time.

As if the mention of her name summoned her forth, my daughter came through the door, Mrs. Hamilton trailing behind. Following them was Uzza, Azza's brother. Lucifer, in his paranoia, had insisted she and I have bodyguards. Thus, Uzza went to art lessons, and Azza had a good cover as to why he always shadowed along with Lucifer and me.

The reality of the situation was that we formed a polyamorous triad. Those close to us, such as my parents, my former best friend, Shawna, and Mrs. Hamilton, knew about our relationship. We kept it low-key otherwise. Except for Deirdre, my family didn't know my love, Lucas Satana, was Lucifer, the Ruler of Hell. Nor did they know our 'bodyguards' were also Fallen Angels. Mrs. Hamilton, being a creature of Hell herself, was fully aware.

Deirdre pranced around the corner, perpetually cheerful, with Mrs. Hamilton, who was much more solemn, close behind her. Uzza grumpily brought up the rear.

"Hi, Mom!" she exclaimed, coming to my open arms for a hug. It was a Hell of a thing that my daughter still wanted hugs. I dreaded the day when the hormones would kick in, and she'd become the sullen, loner teenager my mother swore I had been.

"Hi, daughter!" I gave her an enthusiastic squeeze. "How was class?" She looked a lot like me; brownish skin, chestnut hair, and brown eyes. She was not blessed, or cursed depending on how you saw it, with my curls.

"It was great! We drew hands." She placed her portfolio on the table and unzipped it while everyone waited to see what she had to offer from the evening. George, the female black cat Lucifer had gifted me, trotted into the room and wove herself around Deirdre's legs. The two of them were almost inseparable once Deirdre had come home again.

She held up a graphite drawing of a hand holding a pencil. The proportions were slightly off, but it had incredible detail.

"Wow! That's extremely good, Deirdre," Azza gushed. He was one of her biggest fans and always encouraged her.

She beamed. "Thanks! I mean, I know it needs work, but I think it turned out pretty decent for a first try."

"Professor Bennington was quite impressed," Mrs. Hamilton shared. "He's invited her to go with him, his wife, and a few of the other students to an 'Art Walk' this Saturday evening."

Deirdre turned to me, "And, Melissa has asked if I can spend the night! Can I?"

Melissa Bennington was the daughter of her professor. The two of them had met the first night of class when Melissa had tagged along with her dad. They'd been fast friends ever since.

"Well, as long as they're okay with Uzza tagging along, I'm okay with it. That is unless Lucas requires Uzza elsewhere." I looked expectantly at Lucifer.

He smiled. "I have no need of him. He is all yours!"

"Thank you!" Deirdre sang as she dashed for her room, portfolio tucked tightly under an arm while she juggled her phone to text Melissa. George ran ahead to jump on her bed.

"She's quite the character, that one!" Mrs. Hamilton chuckled; Deirdre's enthusiasm and perkiness were contagious. "Are we still on for the trip tomorrow, Ms. Chase?"

Azza and I planned to take Deirdre on an overnight trip to Atlanta to go to the Georgia Aquarium while Lucifer attended a Vatican function. We'd asked Mrs. Hamilton, as well as Uzza, to come along so the trip could be educational, too. There was the added advantage that the arrangement allowed Azza and I to have a night to ourselves.

"Yes, we are!" I smiled and rechecked the time. "I should go and make sure she's getting packed. I might also want to throw some things in a suitcase, too."

"Good! Uzza said that he'd come to pick me up in the morning since I'm on the way. So, I'll see you bright and early?"

"You bet. We'll have breakfast on the plane."

"Lovely! I'll see you then." She turned to leave, and Uzza followed after her when Lucifer dismissed him with a subtle nod in his direction.

I wandered down the hall to Deirdre's room and stuck my head in the door. She was lying on the bed, texting, with George curled up beside her. "Hey, you hungry?"

"Nah. Melissa and I went to the Student Union and had pizza just before class."

I stiffened. The thought of two pre-teen girls roaming around campus...

She glanced up and guessed my fear. "Uzza went with us."

I relaxed. Of course he did. "So, you all ready for the aquarium?"

She nodded toward a suitcase at the foot of her bed. "Yep! I even packed my bathing suit so I can go swimming while you and Azza have dinner... and other stuff."

I chuckled. Deirdre was a good kid and embraced my relationship with Lucifer and Azza with ease. It didn't even phase her that they were Fallen Angels. She'd lived in Heaven for a while and found it boring, quite unlike Hell. But, mostly, she trusted Lucifer because he'd brought her back to me.

"Okay, well, how about getting off your phone with Melissa and starting your schoolwork?"

"Actually, Mrs. Hamilton didn't assign anything since she wants me to do a paper about our trip." She put down her phone anyway. "I thought I'd work on my piece, though."

I looked at the easel off to one side. On it was one of the most beautiful drawings I'd ever seen. The inspiration was a Japanese Garden, and she had an eye for hyperrealism. I glanced at the photograph she was using as a reference and couldn't tell the difference between it and its larger rendition on her canvas. She insisted, however, she hadn't finished it.

"Okay, just be sure to be in bed by ten. Our flight is early."

"Come back and say goodnight?"

"You bet!" I smiled. "Love you."

"Right back atcha!" She laughed, picking up a pink pencil. It didn't take a lot of time for her to get lost in her art.

I backed out of the doorway and returned to my Fallen Angels. They were finishing up with the dishes. Usually, the three of us did them together, a quaint little task for us. It's the simple things.

Azza gathered me up in his arms, and I melted into his embrace. "I'm going to go and take care of Azazel and then go back to my place for the night."

"Oh?" This was news to me. Azazel was also a Fallen Angel, one who He was actively punishing. For his crimes, Azazel was chained to a rock in the desert, perpetually under the noonday sun. It wouldn't kill him, being a creature born of Heaven, but it was a cruel torture He had chosen. Lucifer, every decade or so, asked to become his caretaker. He always refused; Azazel would remain as he was, slowly going mad, in a prison of His choosing. So, Azza, Uzza, and Lucifer took turns caring for Azazel as best they could.

"Yeah, I want you and Lucifer to have some time before our trips."

I smiled up at him. He was one of the most thoughtful beings I knew. I was incredibly thankful for his presence in our lives. "Thank you."

"Besides," he bent to murmur in my ear, "I get you all to myself tomorrow night. I intend to take advantage of that."

I shivered as a tendril of his power worked its way through me, thrilling me in ways nothing else could. My knees went weak, and he held me tight, chuckling.

Lucifer wrapped himself behind me, and they caught me between the two of them. I sighed and felt a languid smile form on my lips as I leaned my head back on Lucifer's chest. Azza pressed a hand to my cheek and kissed me sweetly.

Hearing me sigh again, Azza laughed, a sexy, gravely sound, before straightening. "I'd better go now while I can still resist."

I pretended to pout before I slipped out from between them so they could say goodbye. Watching the two of them together was one of the benefits of being in a triad; they were sexy as hell by themselves, but with each other? Holy shit, that's hot!

I was a lucky, lucky woman indeed.