Creative Matchmaker (The Inscrutable Paris Beaufont Book 6)

by Sarah Noffke

  “I’m still surprised that I did it,” Paris admitted, catching her breath as the cold dissipated from the basement.

  “I’m not. You’re strong and brave like your mother and have the reflexes and power from your demon blood.” Stefan grabbed the other giant-made knife from its sheath and handed it to Paris.

  She held up her hands, not taking the knife. “I can’t take that. I’m going to lose it or break it as Subner said.”

  “Yes, and it will be the thing that keeps you alive,” Stefan argued. “I think that’s more important than losing some giant-made knives.”

  Paris knew he was right. After seeing the demon she killed, she felt better if she had a way of defending herself. If she hadn’t, she’d be dead or maimed right then. That demon was out to kill, and her father might not have been able to stop it.

  Taking the knife, Paris prepared herself for the idea that she would have to use one again, possibly killing another demon. Something had to happen if Subner predicted that she’d lose both weapons.

  Faraday joined the pair, the refractor lens still around his neck.

  “Good work to you, helping us with light.” Stefan smiled down at the squirrel.

  “I’m glad I could be of use,” Faraday said.

  “Thankfully, there should be windows where the other demon is in the Matters of the Heart office,” Stefan imparted. “That means we won’t have quite the same challenge. However…”

  Paris sensed his hesitation.

  “However,” she repeated, drawing out the word and encouraging her father to continue his sentence.

  He indicated the door that led to the stairwell. “As I mentioned before, we’re not taking the elevator, so that means we have fifty flights to climb to the top floor.”

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  Having gotten used to climbing stairs when Paris visited her parents in the Fantastical Armory’s basement, she made it to the top floor without needing a break. She realized that her endurance and strength were also lent to her by the demon blood.

  Unlike her, Faraday couldn’t fare so well, climbing that many flights of stairs. She took pity on him and carried him most of the way. When they neared the door to the fiftieth floor, Paris felt the presence of the demon as before. However, this one was even more powerful, and the idea of that was more than intimidating.

  Paris felt the demon's energy and smelled its foul odor as they approached the fiftieth floor. It was strange to calculate a being’s strength as if its frequency registered on a meter for her.

  Sensing her tension, Stefan paused on the last landing to the door that led to the fiftieth floor. “Are you ready?”

  She sucked in a breath and gripped the giant-made knife in her hand. Looking down at the squirrel in her other arm, she gave him a cautious look.

  “Are you ready?”

  Faraday gave a sturdy nod in reply. She knew that his curiosity to see demons and FGA headquarters had been his motivator for coming along on this mission. However, Paris also knew that he wanted to be of help as they slew the demons—and so far, he had been.

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  Paris didn’t know what the other floors of FGA headquarters below them looked like. However, the one that was home to Matters of the Heart was how she pictured where the fairy godmothers and agents resided.

  The carpet under their feet was bright red with black lining along the walls. Textured striped wallpaper covered the walls to the ceiling. The décor was mostly modern paintings that revolved around a theme of love. The design was both loud and refined—as if it was teetering on a line, trying to decide whether to be rebellious or conservative.

  Thankfully Stefan was right, and there were skylights overhead since they were on the top floor—letting in natural light. Even if the demon there turned off the power, they’d still have light, which was a welcome relief.

  Matters of the Heart was the office of the current Saint Valentine, and Paris assumed that like the White House for the president of the United States, the décor changed depending on the administration.

  “There’s that color I was looking for.” Stefan ran his eyes over the long hallway lined with paintings of various colors but mostly done in reds and blacks. Doors were also stationed down the hallway on either side.

  Paris looked back and forth from the corner of the hallway, where the stairwell had deposited them. The horrible odor radiating from the demon told her that it was close. The draw in her chest fueled her to fight the monster, hiding somewhere. The cold from before edged into Paris’ bones, making her shiver once more. She was doubly cold, having sweated on her way up the fifty flights of stairs, which now turned to ice and made her cold at her core.

  “The demon is down there, isn’t it?” Paris pointed ahead, indicating the door at the far end of the hallway. It was different than the others—two wide with an arched style and elaborate crown molding around it.

  Stefan’s eyes narrowed as though something on the other side of it suddenly offended him. “Yes, absolutely.”

  “That’s Saint Valentine’s office, according to the schematics I studied,” Faraday offered.

  “That seems like the right place for the demon,” Stefan agreed.

  “Saint Valentine deserted his office and FGA headquarters when Agent Ruby made attempts on his life,” Paris explained. “So it would have been empty for a while.”

  “It can’t have too many places to hide,” Stefan stated.

  “I don’t think so.” Faraday crawled down Paris’ arm and hopped to the floor. “There are no skylights in there, but there’s an entire bank of windows behind Saint Valentine’s desk.

  “The whole space is only seven hundred square feet. I don’t know of any places besides some large storage closets that it could hide. There are a few cabinets and wardrobes too, but no other obvious locations.”

  Stefan pulled his swords from his back and started forward. “Don’t underestimate a demon’s hiding skills. They’re masters of it and often choose the most unexpected places.”

  Chapter Fifty-Seven

  The smell nearly made Paris gag when her father kicked open the double doors to Saint Valentine’s office, making quite the entrance. The demon knew they were there so there was no point in pretenses and sneaking into the space—which was another surprise, like the fiftieth floor’s décor.

  The office was a giant heart. Despite the differing shape, it reminded Paris of images she'd seen of the Oval Office for the president of the United States. Similar to that space, the walls had wainscoting with the top half the same pinstriped design as in the hallway. The bottom half was black, contrasting against the red Persian rug covering the floor.

  Also like the presidential office, there was a large desk in front of the bank of windows that formed the top of the heart in Saint Valentine’s office. Thick red velvet curtains framed the glass where sunlight streamed in, illuminating the space.

  Unlike in the hallway, as Faraday had said, there weren't skylights overhead. Instead, there was a low false ceiling. Each of the three-by-three tiles was a painting of scenes from various famous love stories. Paris recognized Romeo and Juliet, Orpheus and Eurydice, and Napoleon and Josephine.

  Faraday was right. There didn’t appear to be many places for a demon to hide. There were a few large cabinets in various locations throughout the strange space. Having a room shaped like a heart didn’t make for very effective use of the area, but it was an interesting design. There were also a few doors that probably led to closets or a private bathroom.

  Also like the Oval Office, there was an elegant sitting area with oversized couches in front of the large desk.

  Paris pointed at the massive desk. “Do you think it’s in there?”

  Her father studied the space and frowned. “I don’t think so.” His gaze revolved around the room, pausing on the various places where the demon could be hiding.

  Paris noticed something red and sparkly sitting on the corner surface of Saint Valentine’s desk. S
he recognized it. Not taking her eyes off her father, Paris walked over and picked up the tiny heart-shaped object.

  As she suspected, it was the red ruby that had been on Agent Ruby’s magical pen that directed his power. She wasn’t sure why, but she put it in her pocket, thinking that it might be of use at some point. It had been what had finally linked Agent Ruby to the murders, and he had to be behind the demons so maybe this piece of evidence would come in handy.

  “Do you think it will come out now that we’re here?” Faraday scurried into the room and searched too.

  “Not if it’s well-hidden and doesn’t think we’ll find it,” Stefan stated.

  “There are only so many places it can be,” Paris remarked.

  “True,” Stefan agreed, the gears in his mind turning as he scanned their options. “But it’s possible that the hiding place can change.” His gaze rose until he was staring straight at the tiled ceiling. “And it appears it’s a place that puts us at a serious disadvantage.”

  Chapter Fifty-Eight

  “The ceiling,” Paris mouthed, looking up the same as Stefan.

  “Of course,” Faraday stated. “It will be dark, with roughly three feet of recessed space between the tiles and the actual ceiling.”

  “Which, if I were on my own, it would make this difficult enough.” Stefan’s frustration showed on his face.

  Paris knew why he was irritated by this new scenario. Crawling around in a narrow space in the dark to hunt down a demon would be a challenge all on its own. Knowing that her father needed to fight and kill the monster with weapons would make it even more difficult. However, they had the added complexity that she had to see her father at all times.

  Him going up to the ceiling would put him out of sight for a moment before she could join him. The pair on the false ceiling in the dark wasn’t an ideal scenario.

  “Maybe we can draw it down,” Paris mused. At this, there was scurrying above them. The demon moved fast from one end of the ceiling to the other and back again. The tiles shook from its movement, although it sounded to be moving relatively lightly.

  Stefan shook his head. “Something tells me it knows it's safe up there. We’re the ones who want it dead but with all the disadvantages in hunting it from here.”

  “What if you didn’t need to be up there to kill it?” Faraday offered, seeming to be working something out as his eyes danced back and forth.

  “Well, I can’t see it from down here,” Stefan whispered tersely.

  “No, and up there, it will be difficult to fight as there’s limited space.” Faraday held the refraction lens in one of his paws. “What if I could be your eyes and indicate where you…” He held up his other paw and repeatedly made a stabbing motion at the ceiling.

  Triumph jumped to Stefan’s expression as he smiled at the talking squirrel. “That’s genius and might work.”

  Chapter Fifty-Nine

  Paris wasn’t entirely sure how this plan would work, but she liked the idea of her father and her staying on the floor rather than climbing through the false ceiling.

  Faraday climbed up the velvet curtains to the rod where the ceiling tile met the wall. He gave the pair standing in the front of the large desk a tentative look.

  As a squirrel, Faraday should go unnoticed by the demon who feasted off the energy of mortals and fairies. Also, due to his size, he shouldn’t be noticed when he entered its space. However, Paris thought a distraction might be helpful.

  She hurried backward to the door where they’d entered on the opposite side of the office, not taking her eyes off her father. Two flag poles stood on either side of the entrance. One flag said Matters of the Heart with Saint Valentine’s crest on it. The other said Fairy Godmother Agency with a heart on it.

  Picking up the pole for Matters of the Heart, Paris lifted it higher. Her father gave her a confused look, but Faraday flashed her a smile and nodded, understanding that she would serve as a diversion for him.

  Drawing in a breath, Paris hoisted the pole until it knocked the ceiling tile up and out of place, clattering onto one beside it and creating a black hole. The demon screamed overhead—a painfully piercing sound. It hurried across the false ceiling, again making them shudder.

  As she’d expected, the demon charged to the side, on the far right side of the room. Faraday seized the opportunity to lift the panel next to the windows and climb onto the false ceiling. He only had to move it a few inches to get through. Hopefully, the amount of light that filtered up would be enough for him to see the demon’s location but not enough for it to see him. Paris prayed that the demon thought the moving section near the window was a result of her actions with the pole, not the squirrel's activities.

  Now the question she had was how the talking squirrel would indicate the demon’s location so her father could take it down. She stood with her back pressed against the wall, keeping her eyes on her father, knowing the next part was up to him.

  Chapter Sixty

  Stefan stealthily moved under the area where the demon paused after being spooked. It was only a guess since they all knew that it could have changed locations without making a noise or movement once it had sped to the far side of the false ceiling. That’s why Faraday’s role was pivotal. Stefan could stab the panels randomly, but the odds of hitting the demon would be slim. There was too much space to cover, and the monster moved so quickly. It would be like playing Whack-A-Mole without knowing where to whack.

  Paris still didn’t know how Faraday would communicate the demon’s location when a strange beam of light that almost went unnoticed in the bright sun-filled office streamed down from the ceiling a few feet from her father.

  Of course, Paris thought, realizing that one of the things the refraction lens must be able to do was bend light. The clever squirrel must have used the light by his location to direct it at the demon and down to the office, indicating where the monster was. It was strange magitech but devilishly helpful for their purposes.

  The beam of light would be hard to see if one was beside it. However, from Paris’ place by the wall, she had a clear view of it. Stefan was too close, though, and she knew he hadn’t seen it.

  “Dad,” Paris whispered, pointing at where the beam of light was shooting down from the ceiling a few yards from where he stood.

  He looked up and around, then to the carpet where it was easier to see the spot the light made on the dark carpet. Nodding, Stefan figured out how Faraday was communicating the sneaky demon’s location above.

  He grinned, striding over, straight underneath the light, holding the swords in both his hands at the ready.

  Chapter Sixty-One

  In a swift movement, Stefan thrust one sword above his head, piercing through the painted ceiling tile. A howl so loud it rang in Paris’ head made her think it would explode from the impact that sounded through the air.

  Stefan yanked the sword down, and there was an unmistakable dash above them as the demon searched for a new location. Paris hoped it didn’t spot Faraday, watching from the shadows next to the slightly ajar ceiling tile.

  She tracked the progression of the demon until the sound went silent as it went still again. Looking at her father, who was watching the ceiling too, Paris spied the demon’s black blood on the tip of his sword. The monster was wounded, but killing it from underneath would be nearly impossible.

  This wasn’t the end strategy. Instead, they would hope this weakened the beast and bring it down using other means. Demon hunting wasn’t an easy game, and going on this mission had made Paris understand and respect her father more.

  Stefan strode over to the spot where the last tile had moved, indicating that was where the demon had paused. However, as Paris had assumed, it was probably where the monster had slowed before slithering to a different location soundlessly.

  Waiting for Faraday’s signal, Paris searched the carpet, looking for the beam of light that the squirrel bent from the open tile to the demon and down to the floor below. It was amazing what th
e refraction lens could do and that it had been so helpful, Paris mused while waiting for an indication of the demon’s location.

  Stefan was holding his swords at the ready, searching the tiles, his shoulders tensed. Paris was glad she’d been searching the dark carpet because right away, she spotted the neat stream of light when it struck the floor. Although she was searching for the light, Paris was careful to always keep her father in her sights.

  “There,” she mouthed to her father, pointing at it. It was only a yard off where he was, but it still required him to move.

  Soundlessly, Stefan stepped under the light, putting himself directly under where the demon rested above on the tiled ceiling. Holding both swords at shoulder height, Stefan drew in a breath before thrusting both hands in the air.

  The blades pierced the ceiling tile and stuck straight into something. A scream full of horror and pain cut through the air. The demon must have jumped, lifting Stefan off his feet, his swords still attached to the demon’s flesh.

  He jerked downward and landed in a crouch as the scampering overhead continued. The blood on the sword blades and seeping through the painted tile told Paris that he’d majorly injured the demon. That also meant it had less to lose at this point, and things were about to get dangerous.

  Chapter Sixty-Two

  Paris tensed, watching the ceiling tiles shake as the demon moved. To her horror, it appeared to be heading for Faraday’s position, where it would most certainly spot him and take him out—knowing he was what was giving away its position.

  With the flagpole still next to her, in a flash, Paris grabbed it and thrust it up, hitting the ceiling tile overhead and knocking another one out of the way. Thankfully, that paused the demon and made it change direction. It hurried for the left side of the bank of windows, away from Faraday’s position.