Creative Matchmaker (The Inscrutable Paris Beaufont Book 6)

by Sarah Noffke

  “Is that why you don’t appear to have aged?” the French man asked.

  Liv nodded and pointed at the guy. “That’s GiGi Mantovani. You can hardly understand a word he says, but he’s a lot less snooty than the Councilor he replaced,” she said to Paris, helping her out with names. “Yes, time moved very differently in the world where we got stuck.”

  “How did you get there?” the Japanese guy questioned.

  “Haro Takahashi,” Liv supplied. “He’s pretty all right and one of the two remaining founding families.”

  “Are you going to insert your opinion on each person here?” the Spanish man asked.

  “Armando Rosario,” Liv said, looking at Paris. “He totally has zero sense of humor, and his votes are usually pretty self-serving.” She then flashed a grin at the Councilor and nodded. “Yes, I’m educating my daughter, giving her a crash course on the House of Fourteen.”

  Stefan stifled a laugh and stepped forward. “Our daughter was born twenty years ago. Most weren’t aware of it because right before her birth, it came to light that her fate was tied to the Deathly Shadow.”

  “She’s the girl the prophecy was about?” Hester DeVries leaned forward, and the light caught her short gray hair.

  Paris had met her at the reunion party at her parents’ place. She was a healer. Her sister Trudy, the Warrior, was a seer, but no one knew that. Most didn’t know that she was the one who made the prophecy that involved the Deathly Shadow and Paris. Even in the magical world, people shunned seers because their powers were scary.

  “Yes, that’s correct,” Stefan answered.

  “Then that would mean…” Haro’s voice faded, his eyes wide.

  Whispers filled the Chamber of the Tree.

  Liv nodded with confidence. “Yes, the prophecy stated that the Deathly Shadow would need to absorb the power of a halfling that was part-magician and part-fairy to return to form and take over. Paris is the first and only halfling of that combination and the one the prophecy referred to.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Haro Takahashi bolted to a standing position, his hands pressed to the bench as he stared down intently at Paris. “She is the halfling?”

  She froze, aware that everyone was studying her. Paris knew a prophecy involved her, but she didn’t realize that so many people knew about it and were waiting for the halfling to come along. She guessed that she should have, in hindsight. The Deathly Shadow was a big deal and a force that many wanted gone.

  The Warriors had all turned to face her. Paris recognized Alicia, who was smiling at her politely. Besides her parents, Alicia was the only Warrior she knew. However, standing in front of her Aunt Raina was a large man with a thick beard and kind eyes. She guessed he was Fane Popa-Ludwig—the leader of the original werewolf pack in Lupei who married her aunt to preserve her father’s position as Warrior.

  “Yes, Paris is half-fairy and half-magician,” Stefan answered when many of the murmurs had died away.

  “How?” an older woman with gray and black hair asked from the Council.

  “That’s Fantasia Martinez,” Liv said over her shoulder to Paris. “She makes fantastic tamales but also seems to always vote the way Armando Rosario tells her to. I believe the two families are in cahoots.”

  “We are not,” Armando Rosario argued at once.

  “You've been gone for fifteen years,” Fantasia Martinez said, her tone clipped. “It would be unwise to think you know how things run here, Olivia.”

  “I go by Liv, and even after fifteen years, you damn well know that.”

  Clark cleared his throat, leaning forward on the bench. “Paris became half-fairy based on a wish that Liv made on a genie’s lamp when she was pregnant.”

  That caused many to gasp in shock.

  “A genie’s lamp!” someone exclaimed.

  “That’s very risky!” another yelled.

  “But why?”

  Stefan sighed. “My wife did this to protect our unborn child from inheriting a potential problem from me.”

  “A disease?” Haro Takahashi asked.

  Stefan shook his head. “No, many years ago, before Paris was born, I was bitten by a demon.”

  “What!” a nearby Warrior exclaimed, stepping away from Stefan as if he might attack her.

  “It’s true,” he admitted. “But I’m fine. Liv helped to cure me, but the blood of the demon will always be inside me.”

  “You really should have made this information known to the Council,” Gigi Mantovani said sternly.

  “At that time,” Liv began, “the Council was much more corrupt than it is now.”

  “It isn’t corrupt now,” Fantasia said in an offended tone.

  “We’ll see,” Liv sang. “My point is that if Stefan had told the Council that a demon had bitten him, they would have kicked him out of his place.”

  “Well, of course,” Armando Rosario said at once. “It's common knowledge that those bitten by demons are irrational and prone to rage. A Warrior can’t be such things.”

  “Actually, since most are never cured of demonism before it takes over, there is little information on the subject,” Liv refuted. “What you’re spouting is conjecture. Stefan is one of very few who was bitten and cured before demonism set in, so there’s little information on the subject.”

  “From what I know,” Hester DeVries began in a small voice, “those cured will always carry the blood of the demon. They won’t ever turn, but it does influence their behavior.”

  “See there!” Armando Rosario accused, pointing down at Stefan.

  “As I was saying,” Hester continued, pursing her lips at the other Councilor. “The demon blood, once cured, makes the person vehemently repulsed by evil. They have an unyielding desire to stamp out what they almost became. Not only that, but they’re excellent at tracking demons, able to find the monsters since they possess their blood and all their skills.”

  “So you have all the power, strength, and longevity of a demon but also the drive to end them,” Haro Takahashi guessed.

  Stefan nodded. “Which is what makes me an excellent demon hunter.”

  “Unfortunately,” Hester continued. “A drawback is that Stefan can pass on his demon blood.”

  “Which was why you made the wish on the genie’s lamp,” Haro Takahashi assumed, looking at Liv.

  “Yes, and the crafty little jerk made our daughter a halfling when I asked that she not become a demon,” Liv explained.

  “You, like your father, still have the blood of the demon,” Raina stated rather than asked.

  “That’s right.” Paris' voice sounded strange in the large chamber when she finally spoke among the large audience.

  “So you're a halfling with demon blood.” Haro shook his head. “Fascinating.”

  “Like me,” Stefan began, “her demon component makes her repulsed by evil and driven to fight it. Her half-fairy part counters it.”

  “That makes sense,” Hester stated.

  “Although fairies otherwise would be very susceptible to demons,” Haro added.

  “Yes, but a fairy can’t be turned into a demon, unlike a magician,” Clark offered.

  “Where have you been, Paris Beaufont?” Armando Rosario asked. “Why are we only now learning of you?”

  Before she could reply, thankfully, her mother jumped in.

  “After hearing the prophecy,” Liv began, “we hid Paris away, knowing the Deathly Shadow wanted her. However, it soon became apparent we would need to face that evil and end it. However, he opened a vortex to another dimension and locked us away. Knowing that Paris needed to remain safe, my and Stefan’s family worked to hide her on Roya Lane and raised her there.”

  “No House of Fourteen members were allowed there until recently,” Haro stated, musing on the information.

  “Because Papa Creola knew that things had to remain secret to keep Paris and everything else safe,” Stefan answered. “When she was ready, he helped to prepare her to bring us back since she was the
only one who could.” He looked at her with deep fondness. “Our daughter successfully defeated the Deathly Shadow, put him in a container, opened the vortex to the world where we were stuck, and brought us back.”

  “Wow,” a Warrior nearby said in hushed amazement.

  Many others regarded her with awe and shock.

  “You sound like you’ll make quite the Warrior one day.” Haro appeared impressed.

  “She would,” Liv chirped. “But she has her sights set on something better. Instead of only fighting injustice, our daughter will bring love to the world. Paris is studying to become a fairy godmother.”

  Chapter Twenty

  “That’s why we haven’t heard anything about you,” Gigi Mantovani said from the Council bench.

  “Yes, Happily Ever After and FGA remain quite separate from our world,” Hester DeVries stated.

  “I had heard rumor of a halfling,” Fantasia Martinez admitted. “But I thought it was impossible.”

  “And I had heard something about someone with demon blood,” Armando Rosario offered.

  “Yes, I thought I heard Stefan’s name mentioned in connection,” Fantasia added.

  “Since we assumed that you and Liv were dead, we paid it no notice,” Haro said, his brown eyes dancing with curiosity. “This is a fascinating revelation.”

  “I think you’re overlooking the fact that they kept us in the dark and orchestrated much behind our backs.” Armando sounded offended.

  “You were kept in the dark because if the Deathly Shadow found our daughter, he would have killed her and come into full power,” Liv said through gritted teeth.

  “Then we would have had an evil on our hands that no one could defeat.” Clark stared down the bench at the other Councilor.

  “So, you and Alicia,” Armando fired. “Are you even married?”

  “Of course,” Alicia answered shrilly.

  “Only for show, I bet,” Fantasia stated. “Because there aren’t any other Beaufonts.”

  “Or Ludwigs,” GiGi added.

  “When Liv and Stefan went missing, you all orchestrated things so you didn’t lose your positions in the House, is that right?” Armando accused.

  “Raina and I are madly in love,” Fane admitted, his voice deep.

  A smile flickered to Paris’ mouth. The werewolf wasn’t lying. She knew that from her parents. Raina and Fane had married because he’d agreed to take Stefan’s position as Warrior when he went missing. Although they weren’t in love initially and married out of necessity, like Clark and Alicia, they’d fallen for each other over the last fifteen years—much unlike her other aunt and uncle.

  “It isn’t our job or business to question the relationships in the House of Fourteen,” Hester stated. “A Beaufont and a Ludwig legally filled the positions, and that’s all that counts.”

  “But the lies,” Armando protested.

  “Were told to hide and protect a young halfling,” Trudy DeVries interjected from the far side of the Chamber of the Tree. She was tall and had short hair like her sister and the same kind eyes.

  “Now we have back the best Warrior the House of Fourteen has ever known,” another Warrior said beside Liv, giving her a fond look.

  “Thanks, Emilio.” Liv leaned in Paris’ direction. “He’s a Mantovani and married to a fae because he’s not as closed-minded as the rest of his family.”

  Some laughed at this. GiGi Mantovani wasn’t one of them.

  “We also have back the best demon hunter,” a woman said beside Stefan. She had a long black braid down her back and a sword strapped to her hip.

  “Thank you, Shika.” Stefan saluted the other Warrior.

  “That’s Shika Takahashi,” Liv said to Paris. “Their family is good through and through, although Haro is always a swing vote.”

  There was another community chuckle at this.

  “It doesn’t matter that Liv and Stefan are back.” Armando sighed. “Their positions are filled.”

  “Actually, I would like to return to my magitech business,” Alicia cut in. “If Liv is willing to take my position as Warrior, that is.”

  Liv smiled wide. “Sure, I guess I can take that off your hands, but you need to help me get cable programming of shows from the last fifteen years. I have so many Great British Baking Show seasons to catch up on.”

  “If Stefan wants my position as Warrior, I don’t mind stepping down too,” Fane offered. “My pack could use my help, although I do plan to stay here in Los Angeles for the most part.” He gave his wife Raina a thoughtful look, which she returned.

  “That isn’t how things work,” Fantasia objected in a disapproving tone.

  “I’m fine with it,” Hester stated.

  “I say we put it to a vote,” Clark offered.

  “All those in favor of Liv and Stefan taking their positions as Warriors back?” Raina asked.

  Hester, Clark, Raina, and Haro all raised their hands, muttering yes.

  “Then it’s decided, and Liv and Stefan are back with the House of Fourteen!” Clark exclaimed with a rare note of excitement in his voice.

  Stefan stepped even with his wife, putting his arm around her. “It’s good to be back.”

  “Well, technically for us, we weren’t really gone,” Liv joked. “Can I get a day off? I need to catch up on laundry.”

  Many laughed at this.

  “We could desperately use both of your help.” Hester was suddenly quite serious. “There are many problems that fall under your expertise, and we all fear that things are about to get incredibly out of control soon.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “What’s going on?” Liv asked. “I bet there’s a surplus of nacho cheese in my absence.”

  “Probably,” Hester said with a good-natured look. “The giants have refused to update their treaty. You, Warrior Beaufont, were the only one they would work with. Since you’ve been gone, they've fallen out of the alliance.”

  Liv threw her hands up and rolled her eyes. “Seriously, do you know how long it took me to get them to sign that?”

  “I know,” Hester agreed.

  “We sent Fane, but that only made things worse,” Clark stated.

  Fane gave Liv a look of apology. “I’m sorry. I don’t know where things went wrong, but they kicked me off the island straight away.”

  “Probably because they think werewolves are demons,” Liv stated. “For as big a brain as you’d think giants would have, they can be pretty dumb on certain subjects.”

  “Yes, and after that, they wouldn’t listen to anyone else,” Raina explained.

  “No, because they probably think Fane has bitten all the other Warriors,” Liv admitted. “Don’t worry. I’ll get the alliance back. Bermuda Laurens owes me a few dozen favors and will help. Her patience for me will be much higher since I haven’t annoyed her in fifteen years.”

  “Without the alliance, there’s been a domino effect of other problems,” Haro stated. “Communication with the elves has faltered. No one seems to be able to make sense of reports from the fae.”

  “That’s because you all don’t speak Rudolf Sweetwater,” Liv explained. “To understand what that man is saying, you have to inhale a bunch of helium and hold your breath until you’re about to pass out.”

  “So you think you can restore relations, then?” Raina sounded hopeful.

  “For sure,” Liv stated. “I bet the gnomes have been having a field day without being policed on Roya Lane.”

  Many of the Councilors nodded.

  “Yes, and it then trickles over into other magical law enforcement problems,” Haro imparted. “Illegal contraband is on the rise, dangerous magical artifacts are turning up everywhere, and criminal activity is soon to be out of control.”

  “Although we’ve tried to get a handle on things, we couldn’t secure the deals that you did,” Trudy offered.

  “I don’t even know how you did it,” Shika admitted.

  “We took you for granted, for sure,” Emilio added. />
  “With Warrior Beaufont back, she can focus on what she does best, striking deals and using strategy with the other races,” Hester stated. “The rest of you can do what you do best and police magic. We were overwhelmed before.”

  “Then there’s the demon problem,” Clark flatly stated.

  “Demon problem?” Stefan questioned. “What’s going on?”

  Hester frowned. “Well, to put it simply, they’re out of control.”

  “None of us were very effective at hunting them,” a man with dark hair and long sideburns said on the other side of Shika.

  “That’s Carlos Martinez,” Liv informed Paris, still offering her input on all the strangers around her. “He’s more humble than his cousin, Fantasia, but doesn’t make as good tamales.”

  Carlos bowed to her.

  “Now we know why we weren’t as successful,” another Warrior added.

  “That’s Maria Rosario,” Liv explained to her daughter. “She’s a good fighter but has a few screws loose if you know what I mean.”

  “I can hear you,” Maria said dryly.

  “And she has excellent hearing,” Liv added with a laugh.

  “Stefan was a great demon hunter before being bitten,” Raina argued. “But yes, now he has advantages that make him even better.”

  “So the demon population needs to be cleaned up.” Stefan puffed out his chest. “I can do that.”

  “It’s not only that they're overrunning cities,” Emilio Mantovani explained. “We’ve been getting reports that they're attacking fairies.”

  Stefan scratched his head. “Fairies? Strong wards that keep demons out usually protect them. How is it possible they're a target?”

  “We don’t know,” Trudy answered. “There have been several reports from fairies stating that they're suffering from symptoms related to being leeched by demons. We’re not sure when it’s happening. Maybe when they're traveling between secure locations or something.”