You can also sign up for Angela’s newsletter and receive a FREE book.
Join Angela Online
https://angelasandersbooks.com
Bookbub
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Sett’s Salvation
The Sid & Sin Series
T.K. Eldridge
About Sett’s Salvation
Sett Fortin’s boss sent her on a working vacation. Do one thing, then enjoy the rest of the two weeks. Sett doesn’t do vacations, or travel. She works. All the time. Supernatural Police Agent Cosette Fortin never stops being a cop.
Then she discovered New Orleans – and in her first twenty-four hours, everything changed. A new cousin, a new case, and now she has to learn about vampires.
Of course, the local SPD agents don’t take kindly to an interloper – particularly Agent Lucia Landry.
Yet, Lucia and Sett find they have more in common than not, and when Sett’s past comes calling, they have to learn to trust in order to survive.
1
Sett walked down the street, soaking up the power that seeped up from the very cobblestones under her feet. New Orleans, Louisiana was older than her hometown of Belle Cove in both age and power – and she could feel the essence of it rising up through her shoes.
Maybe she was more sensitive to it, being a witch with fae blood, or maybe because she was someone who had never traveled more than three hours outside of the place she’d been born. Perhaps differences were more apparent to Sett due to her lack of experiences with unfamiliar places. Either way, the power and old beauty of New Orleans had charmed Cosette Fortin from the minute she stepped off the boat onto the dock.
Bags collected, she pulled out her phone to look up where she was staying. Commander Walsh had arranged her trip and accommodations, since this was mostly a work excursion – so Sett was surprised to find she was staying in a gorgeous townhouse right on Lake Pontchartrain. She hailed a taxi at the end of the docks and even the driver whistled when she got out at the property. Once her bags were unloaded, the taxi pulled away and Sett pulled out her phone.
“Sett, did you arrive safely?” Commander Walsh said into the phone.
“I did, sir. But I think there might be a mistake. I’m standing outside a building that looks way out of my league.”
“It’s on Breakwater, right? A townhouse?”
“That’s what it looks like, I guess.”
“Then that’s the right place. It belongs to a friend of mine and I rented it out for the month. It should be fully stocked for you, and there is housekeeping that comes in once a week. Go, enjoy.”
“Um, well, thank you, Commander. I was thinking of a hotel room – not a house.”
“And you need privacy for meetings with people, and you need to be comfortable – and yet in easy distance to the bayou where the pack lives, and not too far from some of the tourist aspects of the city so you can enjoy a bit of your trip. This is cheaper than a hotel and much more accommodating. Send me a report after you’ve met with the alpha.”
“I will, sir. Thank you, Commander.” The call disconnected and Sett gathered up her bags and headed up the flight of stairs to the door. About the time Sett realized she’d not asked where to get the key, the door opened, and a smiling face peered out at her.
“You must be Cosette Fortin, yes?” the woman asked.
“I am, and you are?” Sett replied.
“Marie-Louise, Josiah’s wife,” she said as she reached for one of the bags to help Sett get everything inside.
They stacked the bags by the door and Sett shook the woman’s hand. Copper skin and shining blue-black hair offset her bright hazel eyes, but when Sett touched her hand, she could feel the power of the witch who greeted her.
“Call me Lulu,” Marie-Louise said. “And you go by Sett, yes?”
“I do, and thanks for meeting me. I was just wondering how I was supposed to get the key. I had expected to be checking into a hotel, not renting a house.”
“When your Commander called my Josiah to say you were coming down for him, we said we’d get the keys and have someone meet you. The owner had the place stocked up and cleaned, but I brought a few things to help welcome a fellow witch. Some teas and a couple of candles from my shop.” Lulu handed the keys to Sett and gave her a smile. “I’ll leave you to get settled. I left my shop card with my cell number on it under a magnet on the fridge. Call me if you need anything. Oh, and the key fob is for the SUV out front – also yours for the duration of your stay. See you soon.”
“See you,” Sett managed to get out as Lulu headed out and shut the door behind her. Sett locked it and slid the deadbolt into place before she kicked off her shoes and took the time to look around. An open-plan kitchen-living room-eating area ran front to back, with walls of windows and sliding doors on either end that led out onto two decks. One had a view of the water, one had a view of a park and the city beyond. Two bedrooms, a laundry room, and a bath were off to one side of the living space and on the other, stairs led down to, what Sett discovered, was a tiled area that held some lawn equipment and a chest freezer up on a stand to keep it off the floor. A reminder to Sett that flooding happened regularly in this area.
Back on the main floor, she found a letter of welcome from the owner, with a list of numbers in the event of an emergency, or need for cleaning, or anything else that might possibly require someone else to handle. Sett took a picture of the letter with her phone and put it up on the fridge next to Lulu’s card. That number, she put into her contact list before she opened the fridge and cabinets to get an idea of what she had for food. Stacked in the freezer were single-serving containers labeled ‘lasagna’, ‘mac’n’cheese’, and so on. She pulled out the lasagna one and put it in the oven as instructed, then found ingredients for a salad and a bottle of water. It was almost too early for dinner, and too late for lunch, but she’d not eaten since breakfast and a good meal would help her feel grounded and a little more settled. Sett decided she’d eat, then go for a walk to get a better feel for where she would be living for the next few weeks.
Bags sorted and unpacked, toiletries in the bathroom and robe on the door made her feel a little less of a stranger in a strange place and a little more ‘at home’. The oven timer went off, so Sett pulled out the pan, the scent of tomato and spices filling the air. “Now, this is more like it,” she muttered as she sat at the table, the pan of lasagna and a bowl of salad in front of her.
At home, she lived alone and enjoyed it, but here, the silence of the new place unsettled her, so she turned on the TV to a local news station and let the noise fill the long room while she enjoyed her meal.
Once she’d finished and cleaned up, Sett made sure her gun was holstered, her badge in her pocket, a jacket pulled on to hide the shoulder holster, and her favorite ankle boots for walking in a strange city. Eh, they were her favorite ankle boots for walking anywhere – a good tread, comfortable leather, and hidden holsters for her silver daggers.
Gun, phone, keys, badge, boots, and Sett was ready to wander. Two steps out the door and she turned around and went back inside. Air conditioning had fooled her into thinking a jacket would work. She swapped out for a belt holster in back and a longer, loose t-shirt. “Let’s try this one more time,” Sett muttered to herself as she locked the door behind her.
The street was a short one that ended at the water on one end, curved around the park at the other – so Sett headed into the park itself. At the end of summer into early fall, the weather was still summery compared to what Sett was used to – too warm for a jacket for her, but she saw enough people around with jackets to make her wonder just how hot it got here for them to think this was chilly weather.
A vending cart had a short wait, so Sett got in line and bought a frozen lemonade to enjoy as she wandered. She stopped to watch some kids on skateboards, an artist doing portraits, several street musicians that ran from not bad to brilliant, un
til she ended up outside a bookstore that looked interesting. Tossing her trash in a waste can, Sett headed inside. The scent of old leather and paper filled her senses, so she took her time wandering up and down the aisles.
“Is there anything I can help you find?” the voice came from the other side of the shelf, so Sett made her way around the end cap and smiled at the older man she found there.
“I’m just browsing but thank you. Is this your shop?”
“It is,” he said and offered a polite bow. “Ebenezer de Rohan, at your service.”
“De Rohan, now that’s a familiar name,” Sett said. “I am Sett Fortin, and it is a pleasure.”
“My name is familiar?” Ebenezer asked, a glint of interest in his eye. “Now where would you have heard of such a name?”
“I come from a place up north called Belle Cove.”
“Ahh, now I understand. Aimee went one way and Augustine went the other.”
“Who was Augustine?” Sett asked as she followed the man towards a space in the back where a kettle had just started to whistle.
“They were sister and brother. Their mother was killed during the witch trials and their father was a seafaring man, and when the town prepared to take over their property, they packed up what they could and left with just the two wagons, two horses, a goat, and a cow for each. Aimee had been promised to Jacques Fortin before her mother’s arrest, so the two traveled together until she was a half-day’s ride from the trapping village of Belle Cove. They said their farewells and Augustine left that morning while Aimee headed to Belle Cove. They never saw each other again, but they did eventually share letters.”
“We have Aimee’s grimoire in the family, but she doesn’t speak of her brother at all in it,” Sett said, then nodded yes when Ebenezer picked up a mug and the teapot. “I’d love some tea, thank you.”
They both settled in the comfortable chairs on either side of a delicate table that held a tea tray and a plate of cookies.
“They needed to protect each other,” Ebenezer explained. “They escaped ahead of the witch finders, but that didn’t mean they were out of the woods yet.”
“I’m guessing Aimee’s marriage to Jacques Fortin, a powerful witch in his own right, helped protect her?”
“Fortin was thought to be a shifter, and no one wanted to cross him. He could cast illusions that had people believing he was a shaman and a wolf-master. Augustine ended up here, in New Orleans, and learned some of the native magics that made his own skills grow. He is considered the father of all witches in my city.”
“And we’re cousins, however many generations removed,” Sett said as she lifted her mug to touch Ebenezer’s. “Well met, Cousin.”
“Well met, indeed,” Ebenezer said and tapped his mug to hers before they both sipped. “You are not all witch, though,” he added after a moment, eyes examining the outer edges of Sett’s aura. “You have fae in your line.”
“I do,” Sett said and lifted her chin. She wasn’t ashamed of it – not any longer. “My mother’s mother is Margaret Fraser Fortin MacCumhaill, Queen of the Fae.”
“A daughter of the King of Witches and the Queen of the Fae – perhaps I am the one who should be most honored at the presence?” Ebenezer chuckled warmly.
“My father was a weak man who ran when his family needed him. I am my mother’s daughter, and she was born a Fortin as well as married a distant Fortin cousin. It is her lineage that leads to Aimee de Rohan.”
“What made you open my door, Sett?” Ebenezer said as he offered her the cookies.
Sett took one and set it on the napkin beside her mug. “I love books. I will be staying in the city for a few weeks for a mix of work and pleasure, and I wanted to see if there was something that appealed to me instead of the noise of a television in the evening.”
“What kinds of things do you like to read?” Ebenezer asked, and the two lost themselves in a discussion of favorite books and authors they treasured.
They finished their tea and Ebenezer made his way through the stacks, pulling out a book here, using his cane to tap a book Sett could reach over there, until she had several in her arms.
“Take those for now and come back in a day or so and I’ll have a few more for you,” Ebenezer said.
“I’ll do that. I won’t read all of these while I’m here, but I’ll buy a new suitcase just to take them home with me,” Sett said as she paid for the books.
Ebenezer wasn’t going to let her pay at first, but Sett reminded him, “I’m a police officer, Cousin. It is inappropriate to accept large gifts.”
“Even from family?” Ebenezer teased.
“Well, no, we’re allowed to exchange gifts with family, but this is your livelihood, and it feels wrong to not pay.”
“I understand. We’re still new to each other. Maybe by the time you head back to Belle Cove, you’ll feel comfortable enough to exchange gifts with wild abandon.”
“Maybe,” Sett said, then she saw that night had fallen while they had been enjoying each other’s company. “Do you have a cloth bag I can carry these in? I’ve a bit of a walk ahead of me, and I’ll bring it back to you in a day or so.”
“Of course,” Ebenezer said and slid the paper-wrapped books into a bag and handed it to her. “Where are you staying?”
“A rented house on the waterfront. It’s down the street and across the park from here.”
“I’d suggest you walk around the park at night. It’s not safe after nightfall,” Ebenezer said, the warning in his tone saying more than the words.
“What walks in the park at night?” Sett asked.
“Things that you don’t find in Belle Cove,” Ebenezer replied. “This is a town of floating caskets and old blood magic. Best to just walk the street around it. I’ll tell you more next time.”
“Thank you for the warning,” Sett said and gave Ebenezer a smile. “I’m glad we’ve met, Cousin. Stay safe.”
“I’m glad we’ve met too, Cousin Sett. You stay safe as well,” Ebenezer replied and watched as she stepped out and turned down the sidewalk before he shut and locked the door, then flipped the sign to ‘closed’.
2
Sett realized it was dinner time when her stomach rumbled loudly, so she kept to the sidewalk and stopped at the corner to read a menu posted on the window of a restaurant.
“Crawfish Etouffee, Muffaletta, Jambalaya...it all sounds good,” Sett decided and headed inside.
It was a small establishment with about ten tables that could fit four people if they were really friendly. Sett found a spot where she could put her back against the wall and watch the people inside, and outside through the long window across the front. She tucked her bag of books onto an empty chair and smiled up at the server who came over to hand her a menu.
“Do you need a minute or are you ready to order?” the young woman asked.
“I’m visiting the area and want to try some of the local cuisine. It all sounds good, what do you recommend?” Sett said.
“Well, you’ve already found one of the best bookshops. Master Ebenezer has a wonderful collection, doesn’t he?”
“He really does,” Sett replied. “I truly enjoyed my time there.”
“Well, in regard to the food, I’d recommend the Jambalaya, sweet tea for your drink, and Bananas Foster for your dessert. And I’m Molly, by the way. I always forget to introduce myself.”
“Hi Molly, I’m Sett – and that sounds perfect, thank you.”
“Well, if you don’t finish it, we can box it up and you can have leftovers. It’s really good, I promise,” Molly said as she headed away with Sett’s order.
Sett pulled out one of the books, a history of old New Orleans that Ebenezer had recommended. She got lost in reading and only put it aside when Molly brought her plate. The sweet tea and a steaming basket of crusty French bread soon had her savoring the different flavors and spices. A piece of bread torn from the small loaf mopped up the juices, and Sett sat back with a contented sigh.
Molly came by to pick up her plate and refill her tea, then asked her, “Are you ready for dessert or too full?”
“Oh, I’m ready for dessert,” Sett said. “I’ve been traveling all day and didn’t realize how hungry I was.”
“Bananas Foster, coming up,” Molly said with a laugh. A moment later, she returned with a cart she pushed up to the edge of the table. On the cart, a pan with halved bananas simmered in a sauce that smelled of bananas, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Molly added rum to the pan, tipped it to coat the bananas, then lit the alcohol into a quick burning flame. The alcohol burned off and the flame went out, leaving the bananas and sauce behind. Lightly browned bananas were spooned onto a bowl of vanilla ice cream along with the sauce, then garnished with walnuts, fresh banana slices, and a dollop of whipped cream. “Here you go.”
“Wow, that was amazing, thank you,” Sett said as she picked up a spoon to take a bite. “And it tastes amazing. How fun!”
“I love doing the Bananas Foster desserts. Enjoy,” Molly said as she pushed the cart away.
Sett enjoyed the treat and left a generous tip on the table for Molly, gathered up her things and paid her bill on the way out. She glanced back to see Molly mouthing a ‘thank you’ for the tip as she cleared the table, gave the girl a thumbs up and a smile, then headed out into the night. She took her time strolling among the night’s revelers, enjoying the new sights, sounds, and scents. Finally, she turned down the street that ran alongside the park, and the noise and traffic fell away. Well, not all the noise, but it became quieter. She made her way up the steps to her door and was fumbling with the unfamiliar keys when Sett heard a woman scream. The bag of books was left by the door, keys shoved back into her pocket, and Sett raced towards the sound of the second scream that spilled into the night.
Supernatural Syndicate: A Limited Edition Collection of Magical Mafia Stories Page 25
