Shadows & Spells Book 3
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Rowan Hill
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27
Prologue
BEC
The photo tacked to the graduate social board was a throwback. Halloween, three years ago.
That year, I’d embraced my wild side and rocked a sexy George Washington costume like nobody’s business.
Kelly, on the other hand, was deep in a relationship with Chad, the ultimate jerk, and had paired up with him for a clever double helix costume.
It was creative, sure, but you had to squint to see that she had curves and was a total knockout.
Damn Chad.
I sighed, continuing down the hallway, then paused to check out my new faculty photo hanging on the wall.
It wasn’t my best shot, but my new bob haircut gave off a chic professional vibe. Next to the faculty head’s picture, an older man in his sixties, I looked like an eco-warrior goddess.
As a new assistant professor, I knew I’d be drowning in research this first year, just to prove I was worthy of that mediocre photo.
I turned away and strolled down the hallway, scrolling through my phone for more pictures of Kelly.
Freaking Chad. I stared at the last picture of us. A close-up selfie of just the two of us. God, I missed my friend.
If I ever ran into her ex, which was likely since we were both on campus, I’d definitely give him a piece of my mind.
I wasn’t completely sure, but I had a strong hunch her sudden disappearance was due to their breakup. Her aunt dies, and she doesn’t even call me?
I turned into the new office Ben and I shared, and stopped just inside the door when I heard the deep laughter of two men.
I peeked inside. A new, large figure had invaded my space, his butt parked on my desk, chatting with Ben. I took in his broad back, my eyebrows lifting on their own.
Wow. Tall, dark, athletic, and he filled out a pair of jeans like a dream.
“Aye, and you all graduated at the beginning of the year, ya?” The mystery hunk asked Ben in a thick foreign accent.
He shifted, turning his profile toward the doorway, and I noticed a long, distinct scar on his cheek. Tall, dark, and scarred.
Ben, hidden behind the stranger’s broad back, replied, “No, Kelly finished a bit early because of some family issues, and our other friend, Chuck, basically phoned it in.”
I pursed my lips at the mention of my friends. They were definitely on our shit list, Chuck more than anyone for his radio silence.
Ben and I felt betrayed when Chuck went AWOL right after Kelly left to take care of her family.
It was a ridiculous thought, but the idea that Chuck lost interest in our group once Kelly left had crept into our conversations a couple of times.
I cleared my throat, and Ben glanced over at me, while the stranger turned around.
Definitely tall, dark, and drop-dead gorgeous.
My brain went on a brief vacation when I locked eyes with his bright-blue ones and took in his face.
A word got stuck in my throat, and the stranger gave a knowing look. Like he was used to causing brain freezes in everyone he met.
“Uh, hi,” I managed to say.
He reached out to shake my hand, and I gladly accepted the firm handshake.
His face actually had two scars, almost identical. One was visibly older, and his dark beard covered it well.
I was momentarily captivated, wondering how he’d gotten them.
All I could do was smile, a stutter escaping my lips as I reverted back to my schoolgirl days.
Instead, he spoke, his rich Welsh accent filling the room. “You must be Bec.” He smiled as he turned. His warm, large hand enveloped mine.
“Uhhhh, yeah? Hi.”
“Bec! This is Rhys. He’s looking for…Kelly.”
Ben’s head peeked around the large man, a mix of surprise and amusement on his face, watching my confusion unfold.
Rhys let go of my hand and scratched the back of his neck like a kid caught cheating on a test. “Yeah, sorry ’bout that. I recognized you from your picture.”
“Oh?”
“I mean, the ones Kelly showed me were a bit older, a few in some…costumes, but it’s definitely you,” he said with a cheeky grin that I instantly mirrored.
What had Kelly been up to in the six months since I’d last seen her?
Because if it involved this tall Welshman, then I was significantly less annoyed that she’d fallen off the face of the earth and ignored all calls and emails.
My throat tightened, and Ben pushed his chair back to watch as I made a fool of myself over a handsome face with a foreign accent.
“Well then, I’m glad she kept those pictures.” I glanced back at Ben with a frown. “But…sorry, man, we actually haven’t seen Kelly in a while. She kind of disappeared after graduation.”
Rhys didn’t seem bothered or surprised by my unhelpful answer, and he leaned back on my desk, folding his arms over his broad chest, putting on a muscle show.
“Yeah, she said she hadn’t spoken to you in a while, a few lame excuses or something.”
He shifted on his feet and looked down at his sturdy work boots. They were clean but scuffed, like a farmer who’d cleaned up to come into the city. He pulled something out of his pocket and held it up.
A passport, a quick glimpse of Kelly’s face with long red hair flashed at me.
“The thing is, she kind of left this in my hotel the other day. I just need an address… You know, make sure it gets back to her.”
I frowned at the sight and reached out for Kelly’s passport. “I can see it gets back—”
He pulled the passport away from my reach, and a sly, fox-like grin spread across his face.
“Actually… I’d like to make sure she gets it personally, you know?”
I took a step back, distancing myself from his musky scent. My curiosity was piqued. What had Kelly been up to with this tall, dark, and handsome stranger? Especially if she had her passport with her.
Had she just come back from a trip?
“Did she not leave any way for you to reach her?”
His smirk widened, and he shot a knowing look at Ben. “We didn’t exactly have time to chat about the small stuff.
“We covered the big stuff, sure. But the details? Not so much. She had to dash off like a modern-day Cinderella.”
He stood up, tucking the passport safely into his back pocket, snug against his butt. He caught my puzzled expression.
Was he talking about a one-night stand or something more long-term?
Before I could ask, he interrupted me.
“I’d like to…get to know her better, you know? If you could give me a way to reach her…? The number and address I found online seemed to be an old one from Tacoma.”
Ben and I exchanged a confused look. Tacoma? Kelly had never lived in Tacoma as far as I knew.
Rhys went on. “It took me a while to figure out it must be the wrong one. I didn’t realize how many Kelly Joneses there are in Seattle.”
He kept smiling, running a hand through his hair, his gaze shifting between Ben and me.
Kelly had left her passport in this guy’s hotel room after spending a few days with him, but they hadn’t exchanged contact information? Not even an email address?
“Just her mailing address would be fine. I’ll mail it to her with a letter inside.”
I pursed my lips. I knew Kelly had a PO Box for the commune, so I wouldn’t be giving out her home address. That seemed safe enough, even if this guy turned out to be a creep.
I nodded slowly, watching as Ben shrugged in agreement.
“Okay… The administrator’s office down the hall has her commune’s mailing address. I can get it for you.”
His smile widened like I’d just given him the best gift ever. Maybe I had.
“Great. Lead the way,” he said. I shot a parting glance at Ben and left the office, the tall Welshman at my side.
“You and Kelly are close, huh?” he asked. His tone was casual, but I could tell he was interested in more than just making conversation.
I glanced up at him. He was walking closer than most people would in a wide hallway, our shoulders nearly touching, his height almost overwhelming.
“Yeah, we were. Best friends for the last four years. Then, you know, that thing happened earlier this year.”
I left it vague, curious to see how well he really knew Kelly, or if he was just pretending they’d been close.
Rhys nodded, his expression thoughtful and serious. “Yeah, she talked a lot about her aunt. I can’t imagine what that was like.”
He kept his gaze on the floor as we walked down the empty hallway. Classes wouldn’t start until the end of August, and our footsteps echoed in the silence.
Well, if Kelly had told him about her murdered aunt, something she hadn’t even told me until I’d cornered her, then maybe Rhys was telling the truth. Maybe it had been more than a one-night stand.
We reached the administrator’s office for the department. It was empty, everyone out for lunch. I went to the back row of the student files.
Kelly hadn’t officially graduated until three months ago, so her file was still in the cabinet. I pulled it out, wrote down the mailing address, and went back to Rhys, who was patiently surveying the office.
He took the Post-it note from my hand, his smile wide, showing off his straight white teeth and even his gums.
“Good luck getting in touch with her. If you do, tell her she owes me, and I’m looking forward to hearing all her lame excuses,” I said, smiling back.
I was a little jealous of my absent best friend for snagging this guy who clearly wanted more of her.
But it also meant Kelly was moving on from her Chad phase and the murder of her aunt. She was living her life. Even if I missed her, I had to be happy for her.
Rhys glanced at his watch, then tucked the address into his shirt pocket. “Listen, I’m starving and I don’t know the area very well. Would you and your friend like to grab something to eat?
“I’d love to get to know you guys and learn more about Kelly before we met. All the little things we didn’t have time to talk about.”
He said it with a charming smile, and for some reason, I couldn’t resist. A meal sounded too good to pass up.
