The Skin Thief

Chapter 21

I run into the lobby of the apartment building and I press the buttons for the lift in a mad rush. My foot taps impatiently as the lift rises far too slowly for my liking.

As I fumble for my key card, I curse. It slips from my shaking fingers and drops onto the floor. I pick it up, scan it and barge into my apartment where Connor waits outside of view from the corridor.

"How did it go?" he asks as I shut the door.

I let out an excited scream, grinning so widely my cheeks hurt.

"I got the job!" I shout. His eyes widen.

"That was quick," he explains.

"Not at the restaurant, at the MOD!" I shout. "They called me whilst I was on my way home from the restaurant interview."

He grins and we hug each other tightly. I close my eyes and sink into his comforting embrace, feeling a weight lift from my shoulders.

I did it. If I hadn't gotten that job, my whole mission would have been in jeopardy. But I did it. Now, I can really get to work.

"So, what now?" Connor asks as we step away from each other. I let out a shaky breath.

"Now, I need to get onto my laptop and go through all the emails they are about to send me," I grumble.

"Have fun with that," he laughs and throws himself on my sofa and turns on the TV. I put my hands on my hips and raise my eyebrows.

"Don't you have a job?" I ask him.

"Unlike you, I don't need a specific job in this realm," he begins. "So I'm just waiting until something I like the look of pops up."

I roll my eyes and throw my coat at him. "Well, for now, you can be my personal chef," I say.

"I already am," he mutters, standing up.

"It's not my fault you're a great cook," I say and pout at him. He tries to hide his smile but fails.

"Fine," he says and walks over to the kitchen area. I reach for the laptop I bought a few days ago. The money that I was given for my first few weeks in this realm is close to running out. Knowing I will have my own, earned money come in soon puts my nerves at ease also. I can't help but let out a happy sigh. Not that I'm not being paid by my own government for being a wraith, I am. I just don't get that money here. Randomly getting payments from seemingly nowhere would be very suspicious if someone looked into my finances.

The first big payment I came in with is explainable. On my financial records, it reads as a bursary payment from the government for post-grads. It is a payment granted to every post-grad going into difficult fields of work where getting a job can take a lot of time and money.

The money I earn from being a wraith is being safely saved in my realm for when I get back. It isn't a small sum either. If I don't get back, then it goes to mother and father. I shake my head and try and push that thought out of my mind. That doesn't stop a lump from forming in my throat.

I fire up the laptop. It turns on quickly, the screen lighting up. In only seconds, it is fully loaded and I am opening my emails. I groan as I open up the email which is full of various attachments.

"Shit," I grumble as I look over all the paperwork.

"What?" Connor asks.

"I have a week of virtual training," I tell him. "Nine until five every day."

"Doing what?" he asks.

"Erm," I begin and start scrolling through the itinerary. "Loads. Security protocols, how to use the online portal, and how to access my pay. Shit like that."