Kyrian frowned at her. "What is it?"
Amanda patted her chest as panic swirled through her. She fought her anxiety attack as hard as she could, but inside she was screaming over what she'd seen.
She couldn't let him die. Not like that.
Forcing herself to calm down, she stared at Kyrian. "You have to let go of your past. So long as you hold on to it, Desiderius will be able to destroy you."
He looked away. "I know."
"What are you going to do? If you don't stop remembering it, he'll have you again."
"I can handle it, Amanda."
"Can you?" she asked, her throat tight as she saw him dying again. Oh, dear Lord, please not that. She couldn't bear to lose him. The thought of going a single day without feeling his arms around her, hearing his voice...
His laughter.
It was unimaginable. The pain unbearable.
"I can control myself," he insisted.
But she knew the truth. She had experienced his execution firsthand. Worse, she knew he had never dealt with it. Not really. He had only pushed it out of his mind.
All of a sudden, she had an idea how to purge it from him.
At least she hoped it would work.
"I'll be right back."
Kyrian watched her leave, his emotions churning. Better than anyone, he knew his weaknesses. All Desiderius had to do was spread his arms out and he was lost to panic. Lost to memories so painful that he was powerless against them.
He ran his hands over his eyes. There had to be some way to push it all out of his mind. Some way to face the Daimon with a clear head.
The minutes ticked by as he considered possible solutions.
Kyrian became aware of someone watching him.
He rolled over in the bed to see Amanda in the doorway holding a tray and dressed in a long, flowing white satin robe. A warm smile on her face, she entered the room and set the tray on the dresser.
Kyrian frowned.
She approached the bed gracefully, then bent one knee. It peeked out from the slit in the robe. Bracing her leg against the bed, she rolled him over, onto his back. Still he stared at her stockinged leg and the hint of a garter belt underneath the robe.
Her smile grew wider as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a long silk scarf.
Kyrian's frown deepened as she wrapped it around his wrist. "What are you doing?"
"I'm going to make it better."
"Make what better?"
"The past."
"Amanda," he growled as she pulled his arm toward the bedpost. As soon as he realized she intended to tie it there, he jerked away from her. "No!"
She grabbed his arm and held it between her breasts. "Yes."
Amanda watched the panic in his eyes. "No," he reiterated firmly.