He went to the door of the bathroom and tapped lightly.

“Go away.”

Malik smiled sadly. “You know I cannot, my lady. The ceremony is but moments away.” He placed his palm flat on the door. “I have come to escort you.”

“It’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding ceremony.”

“That is a superstition of your world, my lady, not mine. I assure you, my escort is perfectly normal.”

No reply, only tiny electric shocks running up and down his arms—Adrienne’s panic.

This was a waste of time. She wouldn’t see reason. Unfortunately, her time was up, as was Malik’s. He’d allowed her to avoid him the past three days because that ensured he wouldn’t rip the clothes from her body and find out what her passion felt like. Even the presence of her entourage wouldn’t have deterred him.

He only had to be patient a little while longer. That was the mantra he repeated over and over to keep himself in control so he could deal with the situation at hand in a calm manner.

With a small push of power, Malik’s hand passed through the door to grab Adrienne’s arm. He pulled her through and made sure no part of Adrienne or her clothing remained in the door before he let her go. Releasing her too soon would have melded the two. He could separate them easily but the process was painful to a living creature and would only add to Adrienne’s panic.

Adrienne stared at Malik in surprise. She hadn’t imagined it. He had pulled her from the bathroom to the main room through her bathroom door. Through it! It hadn’t hurt, but it was disconcerting.

She swatted Malik’s hands away then stepped back. “You pulled me through the door.”

“Would you have come out, my lady?”

“Hell no!” The look she gave him showed the stupidity of his question.

“Then it was necessary.” He placed his hands on either side of her head at her temples.

She tried to pull away but found she couldn’t move. “What are you doing?”

“Relieving your headache.”

Of course, thought Adrienne. She had forgotten about her magicks, or else she would have stopped the headache herself.

Malik released Adrienne when her headache alleviated, and stepped back to give her room. Her panic remained but the pain was gone.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Nimat move in front of the bathroom door, barring Adrienne from fleeing back inside.

He looked over everyone in the room. Khursid and Qamar stood in front of the windows, Hani had moved to block the closet in case Adrienne thought to hide there, and Mushira hovered behind him.

Though they could not feel Adrienne’s agitation as Malik could, they responded to it by treating her like a caged animal ready to bolt at the first sign of weakness. This probably didn’t help Adrienne’s current state of mind.

He made a snap decision. “Out! All of you.” His tone left no room for argument, though Mushira and Khursid both seemed as though they would. A single look made them keep their silence and follow the others out of the room.

After the door firmly shut behind the last retreating back, Malik spoke softly to his bride. “Adrienne, I know I have not given you much time to adjust, and an unfortunate happening marred your arrival here. I cannot change those things. However, I can make the rest of your time here happy, if you allow me.”

He put his hands on her shoulders. It was all he could safely do, except he shouldn’t even do that much. Touching her was dangerous without the others around to bring him back to his senses. He focused on Adrienne’s agitation and tried to make it his own as a way to combat his lust. Only a few more hours and all his patience would be rewarded.

Adrienne looked up at Malik and knew he meant it. She could read the sincerity in his words, and in his eyes, and feel it of him. He was concerned for her.

“You really want to make me happy?”

“Yes.” He breathed the word on a sigh.

“I want to see my parents,” she demanded.

Malik’s relieved look vanished.

Good, she thought. What did he have to be so happy about when she was miserable?

“I want my favorite stuffed animal from my bed. I want to yell at my bratty brothers for coming into my room without asking. I want to walk across the stage at my college graduation. I want to get my master’s degree. I want—”

“Stop,” Malik yelled over her tirade. He dropped his hands from her shoulders and stepped away.

“Why? That’s what would make me happy. Some spell says I’m your queen and you just snatch me away from my life and throw me into yours. You didn’t ask me! You still haven’t!”

Adrienne didn’t want to yell. The others were right outside the door and they might hear her. She couldn’t help it. She’d held back her frustration and anger all this time, venting in her head but never aloud. With people always around, there was no privacy for her to tear into Malik like she wanted.

Except now.

The wedding day had arrived. This was her last-ditch effort. Even if it didn’t work, she would have the satisfaction of telling Malik just what she thought about all of this, and of him.

“You wish for me to ask for your hand?”

“No! I wish to go home.”

Silence.