Free Blood Slave: A Realm Walker Novel by Kathleen Collins Page A

Damnable woman. She wasn’t due back to train with James until tomorrow.
    “She’s not answering, is she?” The words mocked him, though Thomas knew Michael hadn’t intended them to do so. Thomas shook his head in answer.
    “And your connection with her?”
    “I know she’s alive and somewhere east of here. That’s it.”
    Michael smirked. “Well, she’s got that locked down, doesn’t she? And she’s supposed to be where?”
    “A conference.”
    “You do realize that’s utter bullshit, don’t you?”
    Thomas tossed the phone on top of the towel where he’d dropped it on the floor next to his chair. “And what would you have me do, Michael? Forbid her from going because I know she’s not telling me the truth? That should go over fantastically well.”
    There was a long pause as Michael started unwrapping the tape on his hands. “You could push her to become a Warden. You could be her partner. Then she’d never go anywhere without you. And if she tried you could order her to stay since you’d outrank her.”
    “Are you and Hamilton plotting against me now?” Thomas sometimes worked as a Warden of the High Order, a group that had been keeping peace among the Altered for several millennia before the Agency even existed. Now they were less like a police force and more like an elite task force. His boss, Hamilton Clayton, had worked with Juliana on her last case and had been hinting at her becoming a Warden ever since. Thomas cut a hand through the air in dismissal. “Absolutely not. I’m already a wreck with her as a Walker. I can only imagine what I would be like with her taking on the increased risks of a Warden. No thank you.”
    Michael shrugged. “I wouldn’t dismiss it so quickly, my friend. The job may be more dangerous, but you’d be there to face the danger with her. And unless you’re better at keeping secrets than I thought you were, the Wardens don’t have conferences. Training or otherwise.”
    Thomas flipped his second off. But he couldn’t dismiss his words so easily. There was an appeal to being able to keep tabs on Juliana all the time. He doubted she’d appreciate the change but his nerves certainly would. It was worth considering.

Chapter Seven
     
     
    Juliana stepped out of the tiny bathroom in the loft and did her best not to fidget with the bottom of the halter top she wore. Nathaniel sat with his head bent over her paperwork double checking everything and hadn’t noticed her emerge. She’d made him do all the writing on the myriad of forms Morgan had given her, telling him it was the least he could do since she was the one actually doing the waitressing.
    “Well?” she said finally to get his attention.
    He glanced up and back down before doing a hasty double take. His eyes widened and his mouth opened and closed as he struggled for something to say, leaving him looking a bit like a wereguppy in need of water.
    She wrapped her arms around her exposed midsection. “That bad?”
    “Uh…I didn’t say that.” He got up from the couch and walked over to her. Crossing his arms over his chest, he put on his most serious looking face. “Turn.”
    Dropping her hands to her side, she did as he commanded. As confident as Juliana was, it was a struggle to feel that way in these clothes. The ‘uniform’ consisted of a pair of black short shorts and a crop top with Lust emblazoned across it in shiny red script.
    “Damn, woman. You look good.”
    Relief coursed through her with the words.  Even though she found it hard to believe, she could tell he meant what he said. She just might make it through the night. “Thank the gods for my boots or I have no idea where I would have stashed a weapon.” Her boots were equipped with hidden sheaths on either side and she had filled them with four knives: one silver, one iron, one wood and one blessed. She was prepared for whatever she might run into.
    Despite that, she’d still feel better if she had her sword. Or a gun. “So did