Free Dragon's Honor by Mina Carter Page B

his skin and clothing.
    He amazed her. A few phone calls and people had started to arrive. Guards had secured the perimeter and the sound of power-tools filtered through the house from the direction of the kitchen and front door. It was just a patch up job to prevent the elements getting in. Anything more permanent would have to be dealt with at a later date, after her father had gone through the insurance companies for paranormal damage.
    Honor had just nodded at that, her mind still on the verge of yammering away to itself in the corner. She wasn’t sure how that one would work. After all, ‘I’m sorry, but a troll ripped the front door off my house’ probably wasn’t something they heard on a daily basis.
    She frowned, would that come under an act of Troll, or act of God? Some paranormals associated with different pantheons could get rather pissed off to be associated with the Abrahamic religions.
    “Thanks, Zane. I’d feel much better knowing you guys are out there watching our backs. Whoever this is, they’ve got some pretty serious grunt to throw.” Baron shook the hand of a large guy with more hair than Wolverine. Honor was pretty sure the sharp canines that showed every time he smiled meant that he wasn’t human. More canine…werewolf or weredog, she didn’t know enough about them to make a guess on which.
    “No problem. Me ’n the gang’ll stay outside, out of sight. Well, apart from Trent…you know how he prefers to guard things.”
    The rumble of laughter from both men hinted at a shared background, but it was a clue she wasn’t up to deciphering at the moment. Her slight movement at Baron’s side caught his attention and he glanced down. Taking one look at her face, he turned back to Zane.
    “Thanks man, I’ll leave you to deal with the outside security. I need to get Miss Croft…settled and comfortable. She’s had a hell of a night. Dealt with a redcap herself, with a poker.”
    Surprise, then approval filtered over Zane’s expression and he offered her a smile. “Hey…well done. They’re tricky little bastards…err, excuse language. Good job on knowing about iron.”
    Honor managed a weak smile in return. “Thanks. Pure luck really. I didn’t know whether the poker was iron or not.”
    Yeah, it was probably less about the iron content of the poker as it was the fact you smashed his face in with a blunt object , the nasty little voice in the back of her head sniped.
    “Well, it’s a good job it did. Without it, wouldn’t have mattered how hard you hit him, he’d have kept coming back for more. Just one touch of iron and poof!” Zane spread his hands like he was mimicking an explosion. “Little beggars crumple like a house of cards.”
    “Really?” She stood up straighter, feeling less like a monster. “It didn’t matter how hard I hit him? But his f-face….” She started to stammer and paused. Oh, for heaven’s sake Honor, get it together .
    Taking a deep breath, she sorted herself out and tried again. “His face…there was blood and…and other stuff everywhere. I’ve never—”
    She couldn’t get any further, her throat closing over at the violence she’d been capable of. Understanding flooded Zane’s expression as Baron pulled her closer. The shakes were back.
    “It wouldn’t have mattered how hard to you hit him, Honor,” Baron said gently. “The iron did the damage, not you. As soon as it touched him, it’s like decay? Just a lot faster, and unstoppable.”
    “Yeah?” She looked between them, gaze going from one man to the other. They knew more about this kind of thing than she did, way more than she did.
    “Okay, if you say so.” She released a little sigh of relief. The guilt at causing a creature’s death still remained, but at least she hadn’t…actually bashed his head in.
    “I do,” Baron turned her and urged her toward the door. “Now, let’s get you settled. Catch you later, Zane.”
    She waved at the other man over her shoulder and let