Lost to the Gray by Amanda Bonilla

away.
    “Now, Rylon, is that any way to behave?” Kadambari chided as she disengaged his palm from her minion’s face. “Touch my property again and I’ll have to remove your intestines with a dull, rusted blade while you watch. Understand?”
    “I want her,” he said gruffly, his voice full of barely restrained passion. “I’ll pay extra.”
    Kadambari laughed and somewhere behind me, Sam started back up with his groaning. I
really
hoped this wasn’t about to get freaky. I didn’t sign up for an orgy. “Let’s see how you fare at the tables tonight, shall we? If the gods show you favor, perhaps we can make a deal.”
    I was too busy watching the Sylph who’d come to tonight’s game to notice Rylon’s reaction to Kadambari’s offer. She hung back from the group, visibly shaken, leaning against a table for support. Fighting an internal battle, no doubt, against the effects of the Ambrosia. “What’s your name?” I asked as I helped her to stand straight.
    “Mithandra,” she said. “My sister is the Raksasha’s slave.” She laid a hand to my chest to steady herself and looked up into my face. Wide, green eyes drank me in. Eyes that reminded me of Darian’s. Her lips curved into a sweet smile before she buried her nose in my shirt and inhaled deeply. “You smell good,” she said dreamily. “I can’t think straight. I know what I have to do . . . but—all I can think about right now is touching you.”
    I knew what she meant. Her hand on my chest was like a brand, stoking my desire. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew this wasn’t right, but my body wasn’t really talking to my brain anymore. In fact, I was pretty sure my dick had switched over to autopilot about Stopeen five minutes ago. “Let’s just get through this, okay?” I said as I tucked her under my arm and led her toward the group. The last thing either of us needed was undue scrutiny. Or to keep touching each other like we were . . . “Give yourself a few minutes and you’ll be thinking more clearly.”
    “The Fae—Rylon—I’m worried he’ll try to force himself on my sister before my mind is clear enough to do anything about it.”
    I gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry,” I said close to her ear. “Our hostess isn’t going to let anything happen to your sister.”
Yet
. “I promise.”
    She looked up at me again with those wide eyes and I swallowed down the emotions rising up in me like bile. I didn’t usually drink because I wasn’t one of those jovial drunks who everyone loves to see get schnockered at their party. No, I was more of the angry, emo drunk who ruins everyone’s fun. The Ambrosia made me as horny as a bull in rut, but it also made me want to tear this place to the ground and take every living soul with me as I wallowed in my sorrow. As it was, I was having a hard time keeping my shit together. And I wished to hell Mithandra would quit looking at me, reminding me of
her
.
    “Broken-hearted gamblers are my favorite,” Kadambari mused as we approached a table that had been set up in the dead center of the dance floor. “And you’re quite the jilted lover, aren’t you, Tyler? I think you should place the opening bet.”
    I looked up from Mithandra’s face, only slightly aware that I’d been stroking her red hair. “Sure, I can start the ball rolling. Why not?” I had nothing to lose. Not really. Darian didn’t need me, making me as useless as a third testicle. I’d honored her with the highest gift my race could bestow: unequivocal loyalty and protection. And she’d taken a dump all over my sacred gift. So, yeah, I’d place the first bet. Bring on the gambling. “Chips?”
    Sam shouted and jumped as if startled, swatting and brushing at his arms. “Holyfuckingshitonashingle! Where did all of those spiders come from?”
    Kadambari smiled hungrily as she watched Sam’s fear-fueled exhibition. She looked like a diner gazing into a lobster tank at a seafood