Looking at the building, you could tell it was built after the Otherworld merge. It mixed modern style with that of the new creatures. The stone and intricate designs of dragons and fairies at the top were absolutely breathtaking.

Jerry came through the front door of the establishment and looked at her in bewilderment, not expecting her to be able to pull together such a look. He had only seen her in the office setting, with her hair in a bun and neutral, basic clothing.

He wore a black tux and as Aurelia noticed him, she realized his mouth was agape. He took her hand with a smile and slight nod and ushered her through the door and into the dining area.

The inside of the place was even grander than the outside. The red tablecloths popped out from the white walls. Each pillar was laced with gold snakes running up them. Aurelia wondered if they were the basilisks she had been looking into.

The table that Jerry walked them to was only half full of coworkers.

“They haven’t arrived yet,” Jerry said, reading her facial expression and gazing at the empty seats.

She shot him a quick glance and noticed the deep stare he held on her.

As if he had summoned them, the front doors of the restaurant flew open, and five men in black suits entered. One could see the gray wings protruding out of their shirt, to give a show. Their faces were sculpted perfectly as if the Gods had hand-picked each one.

Aurelia gulped, trying to swallow her excitement and intimidation.

Jerry pulled her seat out for her and she found her place, keeping her eyes on the faes that had just walked to their table.

The men discussed the collaboration. It made sense, now, why she had been invited. They wanted to hire a creature to work with her in fact-checking all of the information that the magazine was sharing with the world.

She respected that about her job. Even though they were a magazine, they wanted to share the truth.

The main fae looked at her as he put his hands to his mouth with his fingertips touching.

“I think I know the perfect person for the job,” the main fae said chuckling.

The chuckle sent shivers down Aurelia’s spine and worried her about what sort of creature he would be sending.

Through the rest of the night, as the drinks kept pouring for the men, their inhibitions towards Aurelia became more apparent. Jerry and their coworkers each attempted to ask her to go home with them. Most of them made a remark along the lines of not realizing how beautiful she was. This wasn’t the compliment that they thought it was and she looked at them with a hidden disgust. She was worried about making a scene and losing her position within the magazine.

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As if the faes had sensed that she was over the humans, some started to take chances on her as well. With each one who approached, she would glance at the main fae. As their eyes met, he would look away.

She felt as if she were the last piece of candy from Halloween, being the only female at the meeting, and how many hands had touched her throughout the night.

As the end of dinner approached, she decided to walk to the bus stop that would drop her off near her apartment rather than wait for a rideshare. She needed to clear her mind and let the breeze take away all of the fingerprints that had marked her.

She excused herself and gave a goodbye before walking out onto the lit street. The sky was pitch black but the streetlights lit the whole way to the bus stop.

Walking down the street, the thoughts of how the supper had gone, stuck in her mind. She had attempted to make herself appear equal and respected. They had respected her alright, enough to try to get her into bed. She wasn’t their equal, they would never see her as such. The thoughts made her want to rip her dress off and take a shower. She no longer felt beautiful in the sense that she knew. She felt gross as the cold of the wind didn’t wipe away the fingerprints, but stayed on them to let her know they were there.

As she rounded the corner of the block, something caught her eye. It was towards the ground, a type of salamander. It slunk into the grass as she approached. Leaning down and picking it up, it ran over her fingers as she moved them each to the front. She allowed the amphibian to keep running without falling until she felt cruel and set it back down on the ground and continued her way to the bus stop.

The wait for the bus took longer than usual. She figured it was due to all of the drunks they were dealing with at each stop.

Standing there fidgeting with her hands, a man approached her. He was older, but not by much, around his forties.

“So you like salamanders?” he asked.

She smiled, realizing that he had watched her pick up the small salamander earlier. How long had he been watching her? His question made her wonder if the guy was a creep or if he lacked social awareness.

Before she could make her decision, he transformed into the same salamander she had been holding earlier, right in front of of her eyes.

The realization that she hadn’t been holding a salamander, but a shapeshifter, a pooka, sent her into flight or fight. She took off in the direction of her house, hoping to outrun him. He jumped and started making his way up her leg. She screamed and danced to get him off. As he fell, her shoe smashed down on him, and a sudden rush of guilt consumed her before she realized it wasn’t an actual salamander.

A man nearby had witnessed the whole exchange. He would have jumped in if it were warranted, but Aurelia had held her ground, even if she did attempt to run away at first.

“Is that a way to treat a poor salamander?” the dark-haired man said as he came out of the shadows.

Aurelia was startled at the thought of another creature and looked toward him while taking a few steps back.

She found that the words would not leave her mouth as she tried to tell him what it was. His gaze had her locked into position; she felt frozen, except for the blush forming on her cheeks as the stunning man in front of her started checking her out from head to toe.

His hair was a shade of dark brown that was almost black and his eyes were even darker. His jawline was sharp and matched the masculinity throughout all his facial and body features.

As he turned his gaze away from her, she felt her movement and speech come back.

“That wasn’t a salamander,” she said as she stabled herself from the release of his gaze.

“I think you need to take a biology class,” the man said as he turned back to her.

“It was a pooka.”

His eyes locked on hers again. She had never seen eyes like his, dark with speckles of gold within. They were the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen.

“Oh,” was all that came out of his mouth as he turned and walked away.