The Unexplainable Fairy Godmother (The Inscrutable Paris Beaufont Book 1)

by Sarah Noffke

  She didn’t stop running until she rounded the corner to the headmistress’ office and found the door open. “I want to retake the exam!”

  Headmistress Willow Starr looked up suddenly, worry on her face. Sitting in front of her desk were Shannon Butcher and Mae Ling.

  “Paris, what are you doing here?” Willow asked.

  “I know what to do now,” Paris said between breaths. “Can I please have a second chance?”

  “You’ve already failed,” Professor Butcher stated, sounding pleased. “It’s too late.”

  Mae Ling shook her head. “I think this warrants an exception. Paris showed remarkable progress in one day.”

  “I would agree.” Willow rose from behind her desk. “If you think that you know what to do after such a short time, I’d be interested in seeing this.”

  “Really—”

  “Our jobs need to be supporting students, not failing them,” Mae Ling reminded her, secretly satisfied that Paris was there. “Wouldn’t you all agree?”

  “Absolutely.” Willow smiled.

  Reluctantly, Professor Butcher nodded.

  “Well, then I don’t see why we should make more of a production of this than we need to.” The headmistress snapped her fingers, and the illusions of the two people appeared. Even in the large office, it was still a little tight with all the extra people. Paris tried not to think about this as she stared between the two lovers.

  Their chemistry was palpable. She remembered King Rudolf’s words about removing obstacles, and two people who were in love would magnetize to each other. Paris had to figure out what the wall was between the two.

  She turned to Cheryl. “You said before that you have to get up early tomorrow. Why is that?”

  “Oh, well, I have to catch a plane home to Cincinnati,” Cheryl answered shyly, her eyes flicking to Phillip several times. “I was here on business, but I have to return to my family.”

  Paris’ heart ached for the girl, who she could see wanted to jump into the man’s arms in front of her. She focused her attention on Phillip. “You mentioned that you had a lot of work to do. Why is that?”

  “Well,” he began, regret in his tone. “I just got promoted to my dream job here in the city.”

  Paris understood at once. This couple’s obstacle was distance. They were afraid to take the plunge, knowing that hundreds, maybe thousands of miles separated them. It would be her job as a fairy godmother to remove the wall between them—giving them the chance to fall in love.

  Closing her eyes, she tried to picture the perfect solution. Cheryl’s family was pulling her away. Phillip’s dream job was keeping him anchored in place.

  Paris’ eyes sprang open as an idea popped into her mind. “Phillip, I’m the CEO of Random Industries in Cincinnati, and we want to offer you twice as much as what you’re making now, doing the same thing. What do you say?”

  His mouth fell open, then snapped closed. He looked at Cheryl, then Paris. “Are you serious? I didn’t even interview.”

  “We’re looking for the best talent,” Paris lied, making it up as she went along. “Your name kept coming up. We’ll relocate you and offer you full benefits, but we’ll need you to start right away.”

  Paris expected him to nod. To exclaim that he’d take the job. Instead, as if Paris wasn’t there, he strode right past her, threw his arms around Cheryl, picked her up, and spun her around. When he paused, he looked down at the girl, stars in his eyes.

  “Did you hear the news?” he asked her.

  She nodded, her own eyes starting to spill with happy tears. “I can’t believe it. I guess when two people are truly in love, the universe finds a way to put them together.”

  Phillip pushed Cheryl’s hair back off her cheek and leaned close, about to kiss her. “Nothing in the world would have kept me from you, I realize now. But I’m so grateful that it worked as it did.”

  She smiled and stared into his eyes. “We must have a fairy godmother because this is my perfect ending.”

  Before the couple kissed, they faded away.

  Headmistress Starr clapped, stealing Paris’ attention. Mae Ling appeared very pleased, although reserved. Professor Butcher looked madder than hell with her eyes narrowed in vengeance.

  “Well, Paris,” Willow began. “That was expertly done. You found out what was keeping the lovers apart and found a solution that fit them both. Cheryl kept her family and Phillip got his dream job, although I’m sure you realize that you’d have to instigate the job promotion and everything in a real-life scenario.”

  “Of course.” The fairy’s heart drummed wildly in her chest. “So does that mean…”

  “Pass,” Willow supplied. “I dare say yes. You performed much more capably on that exam than I’ve seen most of our students do in the past. That was the perfect happy ending.” She turned to Mae Ling. “What do you think about having Paris help us with the upcoming event?”

  “No!” Professor Butcher yelled at once, her face flushing red.

  “Professor,” Willow scolded.

  “She’s been here for one day,” Professor Butcher complained and pointed at Paris.

  “I realize that,” Willow stated. “But she thinks in a modern way. We have a lot of pressure from Saint Valentine. This is our biggest event.” She indicated the low love meter. “We can’t afford to lose any more lovers.”

  “I think it’s a great idea,” Mae Ling agreed. “Otherwise, I’m afraid we’ll do our same old stuffy event, and nothing will change. We need to shake things up. Without our interference, Paris could bring flair to the event. Something that will hopefully be a game-changer.”

  “I think this is an awful notion,” Professor Butcher said angrily.

  “I’m sorry, but can someone tell me what you’re all talking about?” Paris asked.

  “Of course.” Willow smiled politely at her. “Every year, Happily Ever After College hosts a Valentine’s Day ball for mortals. It’s not a huge event, but the idea is to try and spark enough true love connections that we can spur energy for the coming year. You see, love has momentum like a spark creates a fire. When we create a lot of true love matches, it has the potential of starting a domino effect. That’s always the idea with the Valentine’s Day ball, but in recent years, it hasn’t worked.”

  “By recent years, we mean the last several decades,” Mae Ling added.

  Willow nodded shamefully. “Unfortunately, it’s had the opposite effect. Well, you see where the love meter is. We need this one to create a fire of love.”

  “That means we need to do something different,” Mae Ling confirmed. “Not the same old stuffy affair. Before, it was all fancy attire and formality. No matches were made.”

  Paris couldn’t believe it, but she was very excited about the idea. This was a huge opportunity. One she didn’t think she deserved, but she wanted to try. “Well, of course not,” Paris agreed. “I bet people were too uptight to be themselves.”

  Willow laughed. “It’s like you were present.”

  “How can people fall for each other if they can’t be themselves?” Paris asked. “And if someone does fall for them, they aren’t falling for the actual person, but rather the pretentious form of them. We need to put on an event where Cinderellas and Prince Charmings can be themselves. We need to throw out all the glass slippers and ballgowns and magical carriages and create something where people can fall in love with another person and not an appearance.”

  Mae Ling’s brown eyes lit up when she smiled at the headmistress, who also appeared very satisfied by this suggestion.

  “Does that mean you’ll help us with this year’s Valentine’s Day event?” Willow asked. “I realize you’re brand-new and this is a lot to ask, but we’re desperate, and something tells me it’s time that we start doing things differently, especially after today.”

  Paris nodded, feeling a strange sensation bloom in her chest. It was a rare emotion—pride. “Absolutely. I’d be honored to help with the Valentine’s Day event.
”

  Chapter Sixty-Three

  “So not only did you pass your exam,” Uncle John said over the phone, excitement strong in his voice, “but they want you to help with a huge event?”

  Paris was pacing in her small room, only able to take a few steps before having to turn and stride back the opposite way. Her phone shouldn’t work at the college, but Uncle John had done something to it using magitech to get past the wards.

  Paris had woken up early that morning despite going to bed late and hoped to see Uncle John before breakfast. However, she didn’t have enough time to portal out of Happily Ever After College to Roya Lane and back in time. Plus, magical reserves were a factor and Paris wanted to ensure she was fresh for the day’s events. So she’d settled for relying on technology and called her uncle.

  “Well, the Valentine’s Day event isn’t supposed to be huge,” she replied. “It’s supposed to create a spark. Yes, they know they need to shake things up.”

  His familiar chuckle warmed Paris’s heart. “Oh, shaking things up is your specialty. I knew you’d do well there. Well, I think you’ll do well anywhere, you just needed to find something for yourself. I think getting off Roya Lane was necessary. You weren’t ever going to find anything good here. It’s a bunch of trouble.”

  Guilt prickled in Paris’ throat at the notion that she’d snuck back to her old stomping grounds and not told Uncle John about it. Still, that’s what Mae Ling had ordered her to do, and she’d met King Rudolf. Oddly enough, the airhead fae had helped her.

  All night, the stories he’d told her had strolled through her head, seeming to open doors that had been locked before, sparking ideas she hadn’t ever thought about. Paris hadn’t known much about the House of Fourteen, never being outside of Roya Lane for the most part.

  Liv’s and Stefan's story felt like a fairytale, and she wondered what had happened to them. Maybe they’d gotten tired of the dangerous Warrior lifestyle and escaped to a tropical island to enjoy their life and love without the stresses of saving the world.

  The idea sounded good in theory, but now that Paris had the opportunity to create real change, she was addicted to it. If the Valentine’s Day event had the chance of sparking fires of love worldwide, how couldn’t she want it to be a huge success?

  This was her chance to make her mark. They were trusting her. She didn’t understand it entirely, but she also wanted this more than she’d wished for anything, ever. Having almost lost the chance to be a fairy godmother had made Paris hungry for something she didn’t think she wanted. Life was strange like that.

  “Well, I’m proud of you, Pare,” Uncle John said over the phone. “I’ve always been proud of you. You have a lot of heart.”

  “Thanks, Uncle John. I better get down to breakfast. I need to grab something for a friend.” Her gaze slid to Faraday, who was pretending not to eavesdrop from his sock drawer. He’d requested a croissant for breakfast that morning, which she could snag and get to him before the meal started if she hurried.

  “Look at that,” Uncle John cheered. “You’re helping with events and making friends. This is good news.”

  Paris couldn’t help but smile. It was true. After getting tipsy with the squirrel and the king of the fae the night before, she couldn’t help but think of Faraday as a friend. He had left with her when she’d gotten kicked out. That was a good friend—someone who stuck by you no matter what.

  “Well, remember to take your medicine,” Paris said in a rush to Uncle John. “And eat vegetables at least now and then.”

  “Pare, you know they don’t agree with my stomach,” he argued, as he always did.

  “They don’t agree with your taste buds,” she countered.

  He chuckled. “That too.”

  “Don’t overdo it, okay?”

  “I won’t,” he agreed. “But I do have a business trip coming up. I’ll be on a stakeout for a while.”

  “You what?” She was surprised. “Since when do you have stakeouts?”

  “Since you’re not around,” he answered matter-of-factly. “You think I was ever going to go on those with you around? You might want to go off on your own from time to time, but I always needed to be here if you needed me.”

  “Oh, and now I’m here,” she guessed.

  “Well, I usually sent Danny on the stakeouts, but you know, I’m tired of paperwork,” he grumbled. “I’m up to my ears in it. So I’m going to let Danny get the hand cramp filling out forms, and I’m going to be a real detective for a while.”

  “You’re always a real detective, Uncle John.”

  “I know, I know,” he chimed. “I want to get out, and now that I know you’re okay, well, I can do that without worrying.”

  “Okay, well, be careful,” she ordered.

  “I will.”

  “Don’t eat a bunch of junk food while on these stakeouts,” she demanded.

  “How about a little?” he joked.

  “Fine, but remember the vegetables.” She smiled.

  “Okay, well, I love you, Pare. Always and forever.”

  “I love you, Uncle John.” Paris felt a new level of gratitude. “Always and forever.”

  Chapter Sixty-Four

  Over the next week, Paris made so much progress. She also created a lot of problems for herself, but that was standard for her and to be expected.

  Each day, she read at least a book if not two or three, learning all sorts of spells and other useful, more practical information. She’d run out of excuses with Wilfred and had to participate in ballroom dancing classes, but she didn’t hate it. To her surprise, ballroom dancing felt like fighting, without the nose bleeds and bruised knuckles. There was nice coordination to the whole thing, and she appreciated the flow and grace of the movements.

  Hemingway was impressed with Paris’ instincts with gardening but often had to remind her not to take magical shortcuts. She didn’t understand why even when she mastered the mortal ways that he still wanted her to dig a hole instead of cheating using magic.

  “There’s a Zen proverb that says, ‘Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water,’” he told her one day when she challenged him.

  “Oh, so you’re not quoting your namesake today?” she teased him, her hands on her hips.

  A smile surfaced in his bright blue eyes. “I quote all sorts.”

  “When do you say your own lines?” she fired back, having fallen into a natural playful dynamic with him.

  “Oh, I have more than a few of my own lines,” Hemingway argued and shook his head. “But you’re derailing the conversation. My point is, there are rewards in doing things the honest way.”

  “You mean, blisters,” she corrected. “There are blisters in doing things the honest way.”

  “Paris, you shouldn’t always rely on magic,” he stated, suddenly serious.

  “Why?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “You have to know that you’re more powerful than most fairies, right? You see it.”

  Paris looked around the greenhouse, checking that no one was close enough to overhear them. “So?”

  “So, because you have so much magic, doesn’t mean you always have to rely on it for everything. You’re also clever and resourceful. I’m just saying, partner all your skills because magic is helpful. But when we use magic to do something, we can’t always control the outcome. You can’t always stop a magical fast-growing spell. Then a plant grows until it hits its prime and starts to die. Keep in mind there are multiple ways of doing things.”

  Paris knew that Hemingway had her best interests at heart, as did Chef Ash who had been very helpful in helping her hone her baking skills. She enjoyed the art of making things with her hands and didn’t always cheat the process. It was different from gardening where one planted something and had to wait. With cooking and baking, the results were much more immediate.

  Professor Shannon Butcher was one of the rare people at Happily Ever After College who didn’t seem
to have Paris’ best interests at heart. The fairy godmother shot Paris rude glares when she saw her and insulted her at every opportunity, although Paris didn’t have any classes with her. The professor was still protesting about Paris having any involvement in the Valentine’s Day event, but Willow had remained firm about her decision.

  To Paris’ surprise, the headmistress had endorsed her idea to have a speed dating event for the Valentine’s Day celebration. She’d explained that it would be bare-bones.

  “Those invited will be encouraged to come as they are,” Paris explained when she proposed the idea at the planning meeting, her palms sweating as she stood in front of many of the fairy godmothers and instructors. “The idea is that no one is falling for someone’s appearance. Dressing up is nice to show we care, but for this event, we want people to fall for each other, not fancy clothes and perfect hair.”

  “That idea holds merit.” Professor Joyce Beacon smiled across the table at Paris. “Cinderellas make sure they look perfect for their Prince Charmings, obsessing and forgetting to be themselves.”

  “Yeah, but I contend the two fall for each other’s appearances initially,” Professor Butcher stated. “Then once a foundation is created, they can look more like themselves.”

  “Yeah, and she puts on her fat pants, and he gets a gut,” Paris argued. “Because they’re exhausted from all the prior efforts. What if we encouraged them not to do that? There are years for them to go to black-tie events and be fancy if they want. I’m not saying those things aren’t important or shouldn’t be done. But if we aim to get as many true love matches as possible, we should encourage people to come as they are. Otherwise, the matches we make will be about infatuation and lust and won’t last.”

  “That’s exactly why this event has failed in the past.” The headmistress tapped her pink ballpoint pen on a pad of paper. “Last year we had over half the couples hit it off on Valentine’s Day. But after ten to fourteen days, most of them had broken things off.”