Creative Matchmaker (The Inscrutable Paris Beaufont Book 6)

by Sarah Noffke

  “Well, there are unique circumstances,” Paris argued. “There are demons there.”

  “I understand that,” Tiffer countered. “Regardless of circumstances, I can’t willy-nilly allow a magician with demon blood into two of the three holiest locations.”

  Paris watched as Rudolf poured her another glass of sherry before looking at the fairy. “My father is a demon hunter.”

  “As far as I’m concerned, he’s a diabolical loose wire,” Tiffer stated.

  Rudolf threw up his hands. “We finally agree on something.”

  “I also say the same about you, King Rudolf,” Tiffer said.

  “That’s eleven times,” he muttered, finishing the bottle of cognac straight into his mouth.

  Tiffer turned her attention to Paris. “Looks like we’ve almost finished here then. You look horrible, dear. When did you sleep last?”

  “I can’t remember,” she answered honestly.

  “Well, I require that you sleep before you go to chaperone your father at these locations,” she stated. “Besides, your squirrel friend will be very cross with you for not taking him on this adventure after you promised to the last time.”

  “How do you know all this?” Paris asked.

  “I gossip with house flies, Brownies, and spiders,” Tiffer answered.

  Rudolf nodded. “Yeah, that makes sense, you batty fairy.”

  “Unsurprisingly, most of the house flies say more intelligent things than you,” Tiffer criticized.

  Rudolf stood, staring down at the fairy. “I’ve had enough of your insults.”

  She nodded, looking quite pleased with herself. “Well, that was a dozen times, so that seems about right.”

  Tiffer snapped her fingers, and a cylindrical object appeared on the table beside Paris. It was the size of a screwdriver. The fairy pointed at it. “That’s how you’ll open the portals to the three locations. As I said, your father will only be allowed in there while you have your eyes on him. If you look away, he disappears into another room, or you even blink for too long, he will be tossed from his location and not allowed to return. You’ll only get one chance.”

  Paris picked up the strange device. “This will open the portals? What is it?”

  Tiffer winked. “It’s magic.”

  Chapter Forty-Five

  “I can’t believe you left me behind again.” Faraday was cross with Paris when she returned from her adventure, as Tiffer had predicted.

  “I couldn’t find you, and I didn’t have a chance to search the college,” Paris argued, yawning as she crawled into bed. The fairy was also correct about her needing rest. She had messaged her father upon returning with the magic screwdriver, as she was calling it, that would open the portals for them.

  “You went on the Mystery Train,” Faraday complained from the dresser. “Do you know how much I love a good murder?”

  “Saying that out loud is as weird as you’d think.”

  “Mystery,” Faraday added. “You know how much I love a good murder mystery.”

  “Well, it was pretty fun,” Paris stated. “I’m sure your deduction skills would have come in handy.”

  “Then you’ll take me along for this mission to hunt down demons,” Faraday stated.

  Paris laid back in her bed, exhausted. “I guess, but I can’t keep up with a squirrel running around. I have to keep a constant eye on my father.”

  “Well, then you need me,” Faraday offered. “I can run errands for you or do things to ensure you always have him in your sights.”

  “How do you plan on doing that?” Paris asked.

  “Science,” Faraday answered at once, hopping into his sock drawer for the night. “As a bonus, I’ll get to go to FGA and Matters of the Heart office. It’s always nice to add new locations to my passport of magical places.”

  “You do realize that we’re going to hunt down demons and not to vacation, right?” Paris tried to block out the visual of seeing all the lethargic students at Happily Ever After College when she returned. More than anything, she wanted to help the fairies by getting rid of the demons leeching them. But she knew that Tiffer was right, and she needed rest.

  First, she’d sleep so that she didn’t fall down on the job of watching her father while he hunted demons. Then, after they exterminated the infestation, she’d go after Agent Ruby—taking him down once and for all.

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Excitement welled up in Paris’ insides at the thought of all that lay before her. It was surreal to think that she was about to go on a mission with her father. That layered over the fact that she had a father, and he was standing in front of her in the Fantastical Armory looking over various weapons. Even stranger was that standing beside her was Father Time, looking like a dirty hippy. If all that wasn’t strange enough, Paris was still trying to wrap her brain around the fact that she was going on a demon-hunting expedition with her father and a talking squirrel.

  “Do you have anything giant-made?” Stefan asked Subner as he leaned over the display case of knives, inspecting them for the right one.

  The grumpy elf arched an eyebrow at Stefan from the other side of the glass counter. “The giants don’t relinquish weapons very often. Why don’t you borrow Liv’s sword?”

  “Because it’s hers,” the demon hunter replied. “Bellator hasn’t and wouldn’t bond to me. Since I’ve been gone, demons have gotten stronger after going unchecked. I’ll need an arsenal of weapons to take these demons down.”

  “Not to mention they’ve been leeching fairies and are much more powerful for it,” Papa Creola said. He had his stringy hair pulled back in a ponytail and was wearing a tie-dye t-shirt that read, “Knock on the door to my soul, and you will find an ageless hippie with a rock and roll heart.”

  Stefan nodded, combing his hand through his dark hair. Paris studied his piercing blue eyes and facial features, trying to decide how she took after him. She favored her mother a lot more, but she was half of her father—and got more than his demon blood from him.

  To make it stranger, Stefan and Liv hadn’t aged but a day when they were gone from Paris’ world for fifteen years. So even though as magicians, they didn’t age rapidly, they still seemed so much younger, and the gap between them and Paris only appeared to be ten or so years.

  “Do I need a weapon?” Paris peered down into the glass case.

  “Since you don’t know how to use one and will undoubtedly hurt yourself, I’d say no,” Subner grumbled, then added, “On second thought, maybe you should use a sword. I’ll give you my sharpest.”

  “I know how to use my fists.” Paris narrowed her eyes at the bitter man. “Do you want me to show you?”

  Stefan snickered at their banter, used to it after watching the same thing happen between Subner and Liv. “I’d prefer for you not to fight any demons. I don’t like the idea of you having to be there at all, Pare. But I’ll keep you safe, and I’d recommend relying on defensive spells to protect yourself rather than offensive ones to attack. Leave the demon-slaying to me.”

  “Is this a real refraction lens?” Faraday asked from the other side of the shop. The squirrel was sitting on a counter and peering down at one of the artifacts inside with awe.

  “It’s not just any refraction lens,” Papa Creola began, trotting over to the case. “Not only does it have prism effects, but it shoots, bends, and directs light and creates mirrored surfaces.”

  “What are they talking about?” Stefan whispered to Paris.

  She shook her head. “I rarely understand what the squirrel is talking about.”

  “Whoa,” Faraday said, his brown eyes wide with sudden excitement. “I’d heard a rumor that these existed, but I didn’t think they did. They were supposedly full of so much strange magic, giving them all sorts of nifty uses.”

  The talking squirrel had nearly passed out when Paris told him they were stopping by the Fantastical Armory before the mission. The fact that he got to meet Father Time and see many of the strange artifacts
in the shop made Faraday squeal so loudly that it hurt Paris’ ears.

  “This is the only one.” Papa Creola reached into the case and withdrew something that looked like a small round monocle. He held it out to Faraday.

  The squirrel’s mouth was hanging open when he took the small device with both paws. “I can’t believe I’m getting to see this in person…well, squirrel form.”

  “Well, you need to because it’s now yours,” Papa Creola said proudly, looking down at the rodent.

  Paris thought Faraday might pass out. He went rigid all over, his mouth dropping open more. His paws shook on the refraction lens. “Are you serious? Me? Why?”

  “Because you’re going to need it.” Papa Creola’s usual air of mystery covered his words and expression.

  “Me? I’ll need it?” Faraday’s gaze fell to the glass counter under him, his mind suddenly racing. “There are so many ways to use this. It’s for the upcoming mission?”

  Papa Creola didn’t answer this. Instead, he strode back the way he’d come. “You know how to use it. Be careful and don’t let it get broken.”

  Faraday looked at Paris with complete shock. “I got a refraction lens. THE refraction lens.”

  “What does that mean?” she asked.

  “That I can die happy.” He swayed as if he might fall over dead right there.

  “Let’s focus on you surviving.” Stefan pointed at two long swords on the far wall. “I’ll take those and a set of the giant-made knives you have over there.” He nodded at a chest with a clear lid behind Subner.

  “I told you that I didn’t have any giant-made weapons,” the elf with greasy black hair muttered with a sullen expression.

  “You must have forgotten about those.” Stefan laughed. “A giant clearly made them.”

  “They’re the only giant-crafted weapons I currently have,” Subner replied, annoyance heavy on his face. “I don’t want anything happening to them.”

  Stefan flashed him a convincing smile. “I’ll bring them back.”

  “You won’t though.” Subner turned and pulled the long swords from the wall.

  “Oh, so you see how this goes down then.” Stefan laughed again. Papa Creola’s assistant, much like him, was privy to bits of the future. However, as Father Time had explained, revealing events wasn’t advantageous for most to know and the future often changed. Nothing was guaranteed.

  “I know that if I give you those giant-made knives, they won’t come back,” Subner stated.

  “Can you tell me if I do?” Stefan asked morbidly.

  The elf handed laid the swords on the glass countertop between them. “My weapons expert had a time trying to get those knives. I’m not ready to let them go until he brings me more from the giants.”

  “How about I get Rory to make you something?” Stefan offered, testing the balance of one of the swords before sheathing it across his back.

  “He doesn’t make weapons,” Subner argued.

  “He made Bellator for Liv,” Papa Creola cut in.

  “That was the last weapon he made,” Subner grumbled.

  Stefan picked up the other sword and also sheathed it across his back, the handles crossed and poking out at his shoulders. “If Liv asked him to make something, he would come out of retirement to do so. You know that.”

  Subner sighed. “Then she’ll be even more intolerable, holding it over my head that she helped me out.”

  Stefan laughed. “Yeah, she would. But you bring it on yourself, egging her on constantly.”

  “She brings it on being irritatingly annoying,” Subner spat.

  “Come on, man,” Stefan urged. “You know that giant-made blades are more effective at killing demons. I already have my work cut out for me hunting down three super powerful demons with my daughter having to keep a constant eye on me.”

  “With a squirrel in tow,” Subner muttered, pointing at Faraday who was still marveling at his refraction lens.

  “Exactly,” Stefan chirped. “Help me out, would you?”

  Subner sighed, turned, and retrieved the knives with thick handles and curved blades. “I want two knives to replace these and a sword.”

  Smiling victoriously, Stefan took the knives and nodded. “You got it. But don’t discount that I might bring these back.”

  “You won’t,” Subner stated, “but I won’t blame you for it.” He glanced at Paris. “Like her mother, that one is the bane of my existence. She’ll lose the knives.”

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  “What’s that supposed to mean? How am I going to lose the knives?” Paris asked as Stefan, Faraday, and she exited the Fantastical Armory, striding to a place where she could create a portal with the magic screwdriver. Subner had trudged off to the back room after his conclusion, enjoying the idea of disappearing after that cliffhanger.

  “I wouldn’t worry about it.” Stefan checked to ensure that he’d securely fastened his sheathed knives to the waist strap of his harness. “Subner was probably trying to make you paranoid. He loves any opportunity he can get to cause you or Liv stress. I don’t plan on you using weapons or fighting at all, so I don’t see how you could be the one who loses the knives.”

  “So I’m supposed to run around keeping an eye on you?” Paris wondered how this was going to work.

  “Maybe we can find a surveillance room at FGA headquarters, and you can watch me from the safety of there,” he muttered.

  “It’s not a bad idea,” Faraday remarked, scurrying beside them on the cobbled lane.

  Paris shook her head. “No, there’s got to be blind spots on security cameras. We can’t risk you being out of sight for even a moment. If you are, we’ve lost our opportunity for you to hunt down the demons. Then it will have to be me.”

  Stefan pursed his lips. “That’s not happening. When you’re keeping an eye on me, I want it to be from as far away as possible.”

  “I’m not sure if that will be possible,” Paris replied. “The fairy that set the rules said that demons are fast, will fight, and probably flee.”

  Stefan nodded. “Unfortunately, that’s all true. I can’t predict what’s going to happen. I want you to be safe, and I don’t like this scenario at all.”

  “You said that my demon blood protects me, right?” Paris questioned.

  “It protects you from being bitten, but not from getting hurt. When a demon is fighting to survive, it will maim or kill anything in its path. It’s crucial that you stay out of the way as much as possible. I try to make their deaths fast, but I have to admit, these are mega demons I’m facing. They’re strong and much more powerful than any others I’ve encountered. Try to be careful. If it’s between you saving yourself or keeping an eye on me, save yourself.”

  Paris didn’t respond to that because she wasn’t going to lie to her father. If it came to her safety or taking out the demons, she was taking the hit. Her life wasn’t worth more than hundreds of fairies. The demons had to go, no matter what.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  The streets of New York were busy outside the FGA headquarters when the three stepped through the portal. The lobby of the skyscraper in downtown Manhattan was empty, though.

  Paris had expected the headquarters for the fairy godmother agency to be like the mansion at Happily Ever After College. She'd thought it would look and feel like a grandma’s home with the warmth and ever-present smell of fresh-baked chocolate cookies. However, it was the complete opposite and instantly reminded her of the agents that supervised the fairy godmothers.

  Much like the agents, the lobby was all sleek black, reminding Paris of the suits they all wore. The walls were all black marble, which didn’t contrast against the black granite floors. Hanging overhead was a huge and modern black glass chandelier.

  Her father shared Paris’ surprise based on the look on his face. “I was expecting more red…or any red…or any color.”

  “Me too,” she agreed, putting the magic screwdriver in her pocket as she studied the spacious lobby.


  In contrast to the rich, warm wood all around the mansion at the college, the lobby of FGA was ultra-modern with straight lines and lots of sharp corners. The couches in front of the bank of elevators didn’t look comfortable.

  Many of the fairies had vacated the building, too drained from what the demons somewhere in the skyscraper were doing to them. Some had remained, too afraid of what could be lurking outside their previous haven, as Headmistress Starr had assumed. Willow had sent a message to the agents at the headquarters, telling them that a demon hunter would be entering the skyscraper. They had all moved to the middle floors since Stefan assumed the demons would be on the top and bottom of the fifty-story building.

  “As I expected.” Stefan sniffed the air and studied the lobby with a discerning eye. “There are two demons. One in the basement and I believe one at the top of FGA.”

  “The top story is the Matters of the Heart office.” Paris had reviewed the building’s floor plans before leaving the college.

  He nodded. “Makes sense that they’d spread out so they didn’t have to share.”

  “Going after Saint Valentine’s office would be in line with Agent Ruby’s mission to take him down,” Faraday offered.

  “Can you sense the demons?” Stefan asked Paris.

  She tuned into her feelings, drawing in a breath. Inside, she felt conflicted, as if something was tugging her in different directions—fueling her with a strange desire.

  “I want to go downstairs and up at the same time, so I think so,” Paris stated.

  “Do you feel compelled to stamp out whatever is there?” Stefan asked.

  She nodded. “Yeah, it’s as if I crave blood in a way.”

  “Embrace that,” Stefan advised. “I know it seems strange, but evil repulses you, like me. You'll always want to rid the world of anything immoral. Although that desire can burn us out, it's also a gift. I’ve found that I’m much more objective if I embrace that craving rather than trying to resist it.