"No," she burst out. "Not at all."
"Nessa," he warned, reaching for her shoulders. Man, he'd love to mess her up. She was just so proper and put together. Damn witch.
She swallowed and went still beneath his touch. "I, ah-"
"Am trespassing," he finished for her. "Now you're leaving." Her bones felt fragile, but warmth came from her body. Witches were hotter than most, weren't they? A tug centered low in his belly. One he ignored. "Thanks for dropping by."
Faster than he would've expected, she slammed the toe of her shoe down on the flat of his foot.
Pain ricocheted up his shin, and he bit back a howl. "What the fuck?" He tightened his hold.
She leaned up into his face, her blue eyes glittering. "Next time, it's the heel."
Not good. That thing was at least four inches long and kind of spiky. He growled and lifted her up on her toes to prevent any further injury.
She gasped, her breath brushing his chin. "Bear."
For good measure, he lifted more, taking her completely off the ground. He didn't have the strength to hold her aloft for long, but a lesson needed to be taught. The second her temper arose, he saw it. "Kick me and you'll regret it. A lot." He leaned down into her face, his nose almost touching hers.
Thoughts crossed her expressive face so quickly he had trouble keeping up. She stared into his eyes. "This is not going as planned."
His arms protested, so he lowered her back to her feet as if he were in complete control. Yeah, right. Why hadn't she burned his hands completely off? "What plan?" he rumbled.
She drew air into her pert nose. "That's what I've been trying to explain to you. Do you know how witch powers work?"
He released her, and his palms instantly felt empty. And cold. "Something about quantum physics and altering matter," he said. Truth be told, he didn't give a shit. Witches created fire and threw it, so he got out of the way. It didn't seem to matter how they did it. "You're all firebugs."
She sighed. "We use applications of quantum physics, string theory, Brunt's theory, and-" Her gaze narrowed. "Don't look bored."
"I'm not," he said quickly. Then he frowned. "Forget that. I am bored. Get to it."
"Fine. We can alter physics. When you shifted into dragon form, you hurt yourself. I can heal you by the application of physics. I can heal you internally, on a subatomic level."
Hope burst in him, and that just pissed him off. "Bullshit." He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from grabbing and shaking her. While he wanted her aware of his strength, he didn't want to put bruises on that delicate skin. "If a witch could heal me, my sister would've already done it. What are you playing at, lady?" Simone was half witch, and she could throw fire with the best of them.
Nessa shook her head, and a couple of dark tendrils fell down. "Simone can't heal you. I can."
He lifted his chin. "Explain."
Her mouth tightened. "The vast majority of witches can create fire out of air. A small minority, very small, canna' do that."
He frowned. "You can't create fire?" At her sad shake of the head, he added, "Why not?"
She lifted a shoulder. "It's most likely a genetic mutation, just like anything else. But those few of us who can't create fire can do something else."
"Alter physics on a subatomic level," he whispered.
She sighed. "In ancient times, we were called healers."
He'd thought healers were myths. "You can cure diseases?"
"No." She rubbed her hands together as if chilled. "We can't cure naturally occurring diseases. We can help to heal the types of injuries you created deep down by doing something in such violation of the physics of our world."
He'd violated physics by shifting into a dragon instead of a bear? The entire process had felt terrible. "So you're here to help me. My sister sent you?"
"Aye," Nessa said, looking pointedly at the talons on his bicep.
Warning ticked down his spine. "Nessa?"
"Aye?"
"What aren't you saying?" His body went on full alert.
She didn't so much as twitch. "There's a cost."
"Money?" How disappointing.
"No," she whispered.
He reached out and lifted her chin with one knuckle. Her skin was the softest thing he'd ever felt. "All right. What are you saying?" He wasn't sure he could believe anything she said.
Her body straightened. She looked him in the eyes. "If I heal you, then I want something in return."