The Skin Thief

Chapter 16

He's a shapeshifter.

Shapeshifters are the cousins of the dream walker. Instead of taking over another body, they can transform their own body into another person. Or they could make up their own person.

All I know is that the man before me, with his shaggy brown hair, wonky jaw, thin lips and blue eyes does not look like who they are meant to be. For all I know, Cobalt could be a woman. I also suspect that the next time we meet, Cobalt will look completely different.

My thoughts are interrupted by the waitress coming back over with two cups of coffee, milk, and sugar on a black tray. There is an uncomfortable silence as she puts the components on the table.

"Anything else?" she asks.

"Just some privacy," Cobalt says in a low tone. She gulps and nods her head quickly before rushing away.

He turns back to me, his face serious now. "You know your cover story?" he asks.

"Inside and out," I reply confidently.

"You are aware of the job interviews we have set up for you?"

"I am. Don't worry, I'll get the job," I assure him. He nods his head and reaches into his black coat. He pulls out a paper file and puts it on the table between us.

"Your first assignment, once you get the job," he says and opens the page. My heart starts to race. My first target. My first assassination. I wonder how they'll want me to do it. Do I have it in me to do it?

"You're not killing this one," he chuckles, seeing my expression. I narrow my eyes and look at the man in the picture.

The picture isn't the best. It is slightly fuzzy, as though it has been taken from really far away and zoomed in too much. Clearly, the subject of the photo doesn't know he is being photographed either as he looks away from the camera.

"Handsome, isn't he?" Cobalt says. I narrow my eyes and look at his face closer. Cobalt isn't wrong. Despite the bad quality of the photo, the sharp features of his handsome face can be seen clearly. The grey suit he wears also helps.

"Is this the only photograph you could get?" I ask.

Cobalt chuckles. "He isn't the type of person who you want to be caught doing anything suspicious around. Plus, he stays off social media, avidly avoids security cameras and any official government photograph of him is very well locked down."

I raise my eyebrows. "Who is he?" I ask.

"His name is Marcus Kaiser. We don't have much on him but we know he is a key player in the invasion plans."

"And what do you want me to do with him?"

Cobalt smiles. "Seduce him, get close to him. We want to know what he knows and what he and his friends are planning. Mainly, however, we want someone close to him that he doesn't suspect so that when the time is right, you can put three bullets in his chest."

I nod my head, not allowing myself to feel any emotions toward the orders. Not in front of Cobalt anyway, I'll process it all when I'm in Connor's safe presence.

"Why does someone have to be close to him in order to kill him?" I ask.

"The Second Realm isn't the only realm with magic. We have our shapeshifters, our dream walkers and our portal weavers. They have people like him."

"What is he?" I ask, now starting to feel a little nervous.

"He's a shadow crawler."

I close my eyes and feel my heart sink. I shake my head slowly. "And you want me to get close to this man?" I ask, my voice raising a little in pitch.