Unsuspecting Trouble (The Inscrutable Paris Beaufont Book 3)

by Sarah Noffke

  “What makes this library so great?” Paris was excited about the potentials of this place after recently discovering her love for books. “Does it have a slide?”

  “Having a slide doesn’t make a place great.” Subner tinkered with the vortex opener.

  “I wholeheartedly disagree,” Paris argued.

  “You’re five minutes old and know nothing,” he retorted.

  She stuck her tongue out at him. “I’m five-and-a-half minutes old.”

  “The Great Library, a place that you would visit in your second year at Happily Ever After College,” Papa Creola began in an even tone, “houses every book ever written. New editions get added as they are updated.”

  “So it’s a fairly large place then,” Paris said in awe.

  “Seriously, why don’t you open the vortex to the other dimension and join Liv wherever she is,” Subner muttered. “Then problem solved and you two can live annoyingly ever after in someone else’s world.”

  “But I miss you so,” Paris gushed, putting her hands together beside her face and giving him a look of mock adoration.

  “You’re fortunate that you’re a fairy godmother,” Uncle John said to her.

  “In training,” Subner cut in.

  “You have to poke holes in things, don’t you?” she asked him, to which he nodded.

  “The Great Library is restricted,” Uncle John continued. “Only fairy godmothers and those in training, dragonriders, House of Fourteen members and royalty and some chosen few are allowed in there.”

  “Why?” Paris asked, somewhat offended. “Shouldn’t knowledge be for anyone?”

  Subner sighed. “It’s thinking like that which will destroy the planet.”

  Papa Creola nodded. “Subner is right. Knowledge is power, and many of the books inside the Great Library could be dangerous in the wrong hands. There are spells on everything from time travel to necromancy. Access to the Great Library is restricted to keep the wrong knowledge out of bad people’s hands.”

  “Oh, well, I guess that makes sense,” Paris reasoned. “So you need me to fetch a book?”

  Papa Creola shook his head. “No, I need you to meet with someone.”

  “Oh, well, although the Great Library sounds fun, why can’t this person meet me here? Or at the pizza place on Roya Lane?” Paris asked. “I haven’t had time to eat, and I’m starving.”

  “The reason you have to meet this person there is that they’re coming from another dimension,” Papa Creola explained.

  “What?” Paris asked. “Like my parents?”

  “That’s right,” Papa Creola affirmed. “However, it’s easier for this person to travel between realms because he’s not really alive.”

  “Oh, wow,” Paris said in awe. “Like the Deathly Shadow?”

  “Differently,” he answered. “This person retained his soul but cheated death. It was quite irritating to me, broke hundreds of rules, and made Mama Jamba mad. His stunt nearly broke the fabric of time and destroyed the Earth.

  “Wow, this sounds like a bad man,” Paris observed.

  Papa Creola pursed his lips. “He’s a good guy but smart enough to figure out how to break the rules he didn’t want to follow. I couldn’t fault him entirely since he did figure out how to die and also not die. He lives in a parallel dimension. Because of the way the Great Library works in that it is in this world and every other one, he can meet you there.”

  Paris blinked, overwhelmed by all this new information. “This is complex. So the Great Library is in every world? Why can’t we find my parents through there? Wouldn’t they know to search out the place in their dimension and meet up there?”

  “It doesn’t work that way, Einstein,” Subner criticized.

  “The Great Library, having all books ever written, exists in all worlds,” Papa Creola explained. “But just like how things work in parallel realms, we only see those in our dimension.”

  “Oh, so even if my parents went to the Great Library, we wouldn’t be able to see them,” Paris guessed.

  “Not to mention that there are other complications,” Papa Creola went on. “Finding the Great Library isn’t easy if one doesn’t have a portal door there. It can take months and even years to follow the Fierce to the Great Library’s location.”

  “The Fierce?” Paris asked.

  “A fairy who one has to find and follow to discover the library’s location,” Papa Creola answered. “Then there’s also the issue of time. We have no way of knowing how time moves in the dimension where Liv and Stefan are. Even if we could get through by way of the Great Library, figuring out the timing would be impossible. It would be like setting up a meeting with two parties but not knowing what time zone which one was in.”

  “Okay, so I need to meet with this not-dead guy because?” Paris questioned.

  “He’s going to give you the equation and piece of information that John will need to fix the vortex opener,” Papa Creola answered. “I don’t think this information is in a book, but because he’s figured out how to move between dimensions without frying his brain or mixing up all his body parts, he’s in the best position to tell us what we need for the device.”

  “All right, how do I get to the Great Library?” Paris rubbed her hands together, eager to get to the next step of the plan.

  “I’ll open a portal,” Papa Creola answered. “You’ll return through the fairy godmother door to the college.”

  “Great. Who exactly am I looking for in the Great Library?” Paris questioned. “Since it’s a big place, I’m guessing, how am I going to find him?”

  “The Great Librarian will help you find who you’re looking for.” Papa Creola opened a shimmering blue and green portal in the middle of the Fantastical Armory. “The man you’re looking for, who is our only hope to open the right vortex to find Liv, is Ren Lewis. Try not to piss him off, or he might not help you.”

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Piss him off? Paris thought as she stepped through the portal to the Great Library. She wondered if, like Subner, this Ren Lewis was grumpy and had some grudge against her based on who her mother was.

  Her concerns about offending this stranger disappeared at once as awe overwhelmed her. As she’d expected, the Great Library was huge. Standing in the middle of a wide row flanked by tall shelves, Paris blinked, trying to figure out how far the building went on. Miles, it seemed.

  The Great Library was two stories tall with the second story open like a loft. The archways that ran the length of the library were dark wood, as were the floor and shelves. The wood was a nice contrast to the floor-to-ceiling windows that flowed down the space on either side of the row, bringing in natural light.

  Paris had never been in a library before, having not been interested in books due to Papa Creola’s spells. However, she instantly was in love with this place and all the potential adventures she could have exploring books. The smell of the pages, the way the light reflected off the shelves, the quiet—it was all so magical.

  For as far as she could see through the banks of windows there was brown. The flat city that lay around the Great Library was so monochromatic that at first, it hurt Paris’ eyes. She initially thought she’d time-traveled into the past because the city streets weren’t filled with cars and traffic lights but rather donkeys and carts.

  “Where is this place?” Paris muttered aloud, feeling as though she was yelling in the quiet place.

  “The Great Library is in Timbuktu,” a man said at Paris’ back. She turned to find a guy wearing long black robes and a thoughtful expression regarding her. He had a dark beard, and his hands pressed together in front of his chest.

  “Hey, are you Ren Lewis?” Paris whispered, although there was no one around them. The Great Library appeared to be empty.

  The man shook his head. “I’m Paul, the Great Librarian, but Ren is down here waiting for you. You’ll be Paris Beaufont.”

  She nodded, looking around at the massive library. “So this place really exists
in multiple worlds? Does that mean you have to have multiple phone plans?”

  “It might if I had a phone.” He snickered, thankfully finding her joke funny.

  “It seems that those in high positions aren’t that into technology,” Paris remarked, having noticed that Papa Creola, Mama Jamba, and the fairy godmothers didn’t seem reliant on it like most everyone else.

  “Books are my passion,” Paul stated. “So I’m naturally not interested in technology or phones, and honestly, I don’t have anyone I need to keep up with. My job here at the Great Library keeps me plenty busy.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure that reshelving the checked-out books takes forever,” Paris joked.

  “I have an assistant,” Paul held out his arm, and right on cue, something soared down from one of the high shelves and landed on him. “This is Beatrix. She’s a gryphowl and incredibly good at finding things, such as books.”

  The magical creature was quite large even resting on his arm where it folded its snowy wings into its body and regarded them with majestic eyes. The gryphowl appeared to be a cross between an owl and a large cat. It had the wise face of an owl with brown and white feathers. Under its large wings were four sets of legs that resembled those of a jungle cat. It also had the large pointy ears and striped tail of the large jungle cat.

  “She sounds like a very helpful assistant,” Paris remarked. “My animal companion usually only gets me into dangerous situations and is way too literal. That’s Faraday’s superpower.”

  “Faraday, you say?” Paul looked curious.

  “Yeah, why?”

  He shrugged. “Just wondering.” The gryphowl took off suddenly, flying ahead in the long row that stretched before them. “Beatrix will lead us to Ren. I’m not certain of his specific whereabouts since as you’ve noticed, the Great Library is extensive, and it’s easy to lose track of people.”

  Paris nodded and started forward, following the gryphowl. “I can only imagine. From the outside, does the Great Library take up a large portion of the city?”

  “It looks like a modest dwelling,” Paul answered. “It’s tiny, and none who pass it are the least bit interested in what’s inside.”

  “Wow, so you don’t get any solicitors,” Paris teased.

  “Only those who are looking for the Great Library and are invited can enter,” he explained.

  “And follow the Fierce,” Paris added, remembering what Father Time had said.

  Paul strode beside her, his long robe billowing behind him. “That’s right, but as a fairy godmother, you can go through the portal in the Serenity Garden. The door to return is at the front of the Great Library, and I can lead you there after you meet with Ren.”

  “Thanks.” Paris looked down each row as they passed. “I could see getting lost here.”

  Beatrix landed on a shelf a few paces ahead. “It looks like we’ve found Ren Lewis. I’ll leave you here to make your introductions. When you’re finished and ready to return to Happily Ever After College, Beatrix will lead you back to me.”

  Paris nodded, gulping, finding herself suddenly nervous about this man she was to meet. He sounded very powerful if he cheated death and could pop between parallel worlds. She hoped that he was more good-natured than Bermuda and Subner, who didn’t laugh at any of her jokes, but she had a feeling that he wouldn’t since Papa Creola had instructed her not to piss him off.

  Preparing herself mentally for the next phase of this mission, Paris rounded the corner to find a man with red hair and a mischievous glint in his green eyes standing in the row, a book open in his hands. He glanced up at her with an irritated expression and ran a speculative gaze over Paris, sizing her up quickly.

  “You’re a bit underwhelming, aren’t you?” the man commented, his accent British and tone refined.

  Paris sighed, thinking that they were already off to a great start.

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Paris glanced down at her leather jacket and all-black outfit, wondering if she’d missed the memo on the dress code. Ren Lewis wore an expensive suit and tie, his short red hair spiky and perfectly neat.

  “Didn’t know I was supposed to wear a formal gown,” Paris retaliated. “I can put on a disguise if you like, but I draw the line at combing my hair.”

  He rolled his eyes and closed the book. “I meant that you’re a bit underwhelming in appearance as the only magical halfling in existence in this world or any other that I’m aware of.”

  Paris again glanced down at her clothes. “Yeah, well, I don’t know what you expected. Horns? Claws or talons? I have wings and a bad attitude.”

  Ren sighed. “I know that you’re half-magician and half-fairy, not part demon and falcon. I can see your wings.”

  Paris glanced over her shoulder at her wings. They were always there but were glamoured not to appear and be out of her way. Otherwise, they’d constantly knock into things and give her clearance issues like the protective longhorns.

  “I think I am part demon,” Paris remarked, remembering the story of how she came about. A demon had bitten her father. Her parents feared the demonism would pass to her, which led to a genie turning her into a half-fairy.

  “That would explain the goth outfit.” Ren indicated her clothes.

  “Cool, now that we’ve discussed my lack of fashion sense and how underwhelming I am with first impressions, I hoped you could help me since you’re apparently a multiple world dimension expert.”

  Ren shook his head and looked at the ceiling. “Why is it that young, entitled blonde brats are always annoying me and expecting me to help them out?”

  “I’m not sure that question reflects well on you,” Paris joked. “Are these young girls asking for ice cream money or a ride home because you’re always lurking around the skating rink or the mall?”

  He flashed her an amused grin, one of his pointy canines showing. “Oh, looky there. Someone can dish it out and take it. And here I thought this meeting would be a bore-fest.”

  “Do you often get bored when you have to meet the only half-magician, half-fairy in the universe in the Great Library to explain to them how to pinpoint a vortex location?” Paris pretended to be seriously interested in the answer.

  He faked a yawn. “I’m sorry, I fell asleep. What was the question?”

  “I’m Paris Beaufont, and you’re Ren Lewis, and Papa Creola says you can help.”

  “I thought we were past introductions, love,” Ren quipped. “Let’s not shake. I really don’t want to know what drivel is going on in your head.”

  “I wasn’t going to tell you,” she retorted, amused by this character, although she remembered that Papa Creola warned her not to piss him off. However, it seemed more likely that he would offend her first. Good thing she wasn’t easily offended. Otherwise, she might have already clocked the guy. She still might…after he helped. He seemed like the bully type, although strangely helpful.

  “I have telepathy linked to touch,” Ren explained, holding up his hand.

  “That’s a fun party trick,” Paris joked.

  “So is the mind control I could employ to get you to do the chicken dance.”

  She laughed. “I don’t need you to use mind control for that. Do you want me to do the short version or the deluxe one?”

  “I’ll take a rain check on both,” he answered. “Yes, the father of time in your world says you need to know how to open a specific vortex harnessing the energy of an evil entity.”

  “Yeah, a piece of cake, right?” Paris asked dryly.

  “I’ve had harder tasks,” Ren related.

  “How did you cheat death?” Paris was too curious not to let the question spill out.

  He tipped his head back and forth. “I used science, technology, philosophy, and religion to find clear loopholes in the system. It wasn’t really that hard.”

  “And now you’re alive but not really?”

  “That’s absurd,” Ren retorted, offense jumping to his eyes. “I’m totally alive. I simply don’t exist in y
our dimension. If I did, bad things would probably happen. Papa Creola and Mama Jamba would probably nag me incessantly about all the rules I supposedly broke, but really, the blame was all on them. Close the loops if you don’t want a skilled person such as myself to find ways to break your rules.”

  “You don’t have a lot of friends, do you?” Paris asked.

  “You’d be surprised,” Ren answered. “Before I nearly destroyed the planet you currently call home while defying my death, I saved it a few times. Everyone loves a hero.”

  “So even though you have a bad attitude, you are a good guy,” Paris observed, remembering what Papa Creola had said about how Ren wasn’t evil although he broke the laws of time and space.

  “Well, you admitted to having a bad attitude, and I’m sure you think of yourself as good so the two aren’t mutually exclusive, now are they?”

  “Good point,” Paris chirped. “So the technology to harness energy to open a specific vortex? Can you please help me with that?”

  “For sure,” Ren answered but didn’t say anything else.

  Paris lowered her chin. “Will you?”

  He held up a finger, pausing her. “I will, but first you have to make me a promise.”

  “Why?” Paris wondered who this bloke was that he’d require a promise from her. They were pretty much strangers.

  “Because I happen to like this world and don’t want it turned into a scrambled egg. There’s a reason I didn’t write down or publish the way I cheated death. Then it would have shown up here, and some idiot would try and replicate it. Interdimensional travel is probably the most tricky thing anyone can ever do.”

  “So it’s okay for you to defy death, break laws, and move between realms, but the rest of us can’t?” Paris challenged.

  He flashed her a grin. “That’s right, love. I’m Ren Lewis, and rules don’t apply to me. I didn’t destroy the world when I did what I did. I can’t say anyone else would be so lucky…and by luck, I mean utterly perfect in execution.”