Prologue
Kate couldn't remember the drive home or walking from
her car to her front door. Her mind kept replaying Tom's
surprised face, the way he jerked his hands free of the
woman's tight sweater, and the flushed cheeks of his grad
student. Her knuckles ached from clenching her fists,
struggling to control her emotions. Blood smeared across
the palm of her hand where her fingernail broke the skin.
She could still hear his footsteps echoing behind her in
the desolate parking lot and the pleading in his
voice. "Please, can't we talk about this?" His desperation
made her nauseous.
What could he possibly explain?
After three tries, she finally managed to calm her
trembling hands and unlock her apartment door. Forcing a
deep breath into her lungs, she steeled herself for what
awaited. The eight-by-ten engagement photo smiled at her
from the side table. Her knees threatened to buckle under
the weight of betrayal.
Leaning against the door, she struggled to understand.
Their wedding was less than a month away. All their plans,
their dreams, tossed away for a pair of most-likely-fake
double Ds.
How could she have been so blind? She almost married him.
For the third time since she'd sped away from the
university, her cell phone buzzed. She powered it off and
tossed it aside. The bastard could call all night, send
flowers, beg on his knees, but nothing would change the
fact that she'd never walk down the aisle in the designer
gown that he insisted she buy. She'd never move into the
new condo they'd had their eye on. And she would never
trust him again.
It was over.
She wiped her nose and glared at the photo on the table.
Shouldn't she be jealous? Did she even care if he'd slept
with this woman? Was she devastated because she would miss
Tom, or because her life wasn't turning out the way she
thought it should?
Puzzled, she pushed away from the door and turned the
frame facedown on the table. Her gaze locked onto her
parents' photo. Nearly two years had slipped by since the
accident. She'd worked so hard to distance herself from the
pain of their loss that she'd avoided dealing with the
remainder of their estate. She still hadn't sold their
house.
Instead, she'd pushed her relationship with Tom forward,
avoiding her emotions by planning a wedding to a man she
wasn't certain she loved.
Gripping the frame, she tilted the photo to cut the
glare from the overhead light. Her mother's warm smile
brought a swell of heartache—real heartache, not this shock
of betrayal and sudden change that Tom had delivered.
"I wish you were here, Mom." She wiped a tear from her
cheek. "You probably would've seen right through his sexy,
crooked smile."
She waited, half-expecting to hear her mother's voice
telling her she deserved better.
Because she did.
"I think it's time for me to go back home. I'm through
hiding, Mom."
Once she returned the photo to the table, the tightness
in her chest loosened its grip. This wasn't the end of the
world. In fact, it was a chance at a new beginning.
She'd call her school in the morning and let them know
she needed a leave of absence. Then she'd get in touch with
the caterers and the perky wedding planner.
She could be on the road by the afternoon. She lifted
her chin a notch and dropped her engagement photo in the
trashcan. Tomorrow, she would take control of her life and
her future, and this time she wouldn't rush into anything.
Chapter One
When they parked at the Mission de Alcala, Kate stared
up at the bells. Although she grew up in San Diego, she'd
never played tourist and visited this famous landmark,
which she admitted now was a shame. The white arched bell
tower of the first Spanish mission in the New World
stretched toward the heavens, oblivious to the changing
landscape around it. For a moment, she felt like she'd been
transported back in time.
Edie hefted her camera bag over her shoulder. "Hurry up!
We don't want to end up standing for the service."
"I'm coming." Kate ran up the uneven tile steps after
her friends.
When they entered the white adobe sanctuary, her breath
caught in her throat. The natural pine ceiling arched high
above them, voices echoed in the cavernous space, and soft
chords from the pipe organ at the rear of the hall floated
down. The music washed over the congregation, filling the
church with its somber peace.
Her mother would have loved this place.
Lori grabbed Kate's hand and pulled her across the
sanctuary to a pew by the opposite door. Candlelight filled
the chamber with a warm glow, and soon the only sounds were
the soft chants from the priests. Images of Christ's
crucifixion lined the walls, and the quiet hymns from the
choir added to the poignancy of the Mass. Bittersweet
sorrow swelled in her heart. This would be her second
holiday season without her parents, and her first without
Tom. The Mass felt like a solemn reminder she was alone in
the world.
The room blurred behind a wave of tears.
"I need some air. I'll be right outside," Kate whispered
to Edie.
Edie gave her an are you all right look, and Kate
managed to smile and nod before slipping out the door. As
the heavy wooden door clicked shut behind her, she stepped
into a lush courtyard with centuries-old adobe crosses
rising through thick ferns that threatened to swallow them.
More candles flickered around the garden. Shadows moved
across the surrounding walls, mingling with the darkness
that gathered in the corners and alcoves.
The cool night air filled her lungs, calming the storm
brewing inside her. Seeing the families and couples in the
sanctuary stirred up heartache. She had erected protective
walls around the spaces her parents and her ex-fiancé used
to fill, but now they crumbled. Kate took another deep
breath and stared at the pale moon. She could almost hear
her mother's voice telling her to stay strong. Keep moving
forward.
Just as she'd promised herself she'd do.
Clearing her throat, Kate focused on her surroundings
and followed a worn tile path to a weathered sign. The
courtyard, and the crosses within it, honored the Native
American neophytes who worked at the mission in its early
years. Kate scanned the garden again, finding even more of
the half-hidden handmade crosses peering at her from a
thicket of ferns. Most of them now leaned to the side,
weathered from years of exposure to the sun and rain.
The once-strong angles of the markers now drooped as
though they wept.
She followed the path deeper into the garden and found
another cross nearly engulfed by the foliage and flowers
that grew around it. Though the path here was unkempt and
the aging monument covered in moss, a simple floral wreath
adorned the neck of the cross.
How many Native Americans died at the mission in its
early years? She wondered if anyone really knew. She
learned about the missions in elementary school, but her
teachers never discussed the relationship between the
missionaries and the local tribes. Was neophyte a fancy
word for slave? She didn't know, but whatever their role
might have been, it was encouraging to see the indigenous
people who had lived at the mission had not been forgotten.
When the service concluded, the murmur of soft
conversation broke through her solitude. Mass was over
already? Kate frowned. How long had she been outside?
Car engines started and brakes squeaked, the headlights
drowning out the candlelit shadows. Beyond the black
wrought iron gates, small groups of people departed
together until finally the floodlights over the parking lot
blinked off. She would have worried about Lori and Edie's
absence, but she knew they had plans with their digital
cameras after the mass.
According to her friends, Dia de los Muertos was the
perfect night for ghost hunting. Lori and Edie always
enjoyed ghost stories when they were kids, and their
fondness grew until they considered themselves amateur
paranormal investigators. What better place to find them
than in the oldest building in San Diego on the one night a
year reserved for the dead?
Kate didn't share their zeal for spirits, but she had no
problem waiting for them to have their fun. She was happy
to have a few minutes to herself anyway.
The candlelight glimmered around her, the flickering
flames left to burn out sometime before morning. The warm
glow made for eerie light, casting long shadows of the
weeping crosses over the garden. It was exquisite and
melancholy in the same moment.
She caught a sudden chill. The longer she lingered, the
more her sadness mutated into unease.
The back of her neck prickled. Kate crossed her arms and
walked toward the sanctuary doors. She suddenly felt
exposed and alone. Before she reached the doors, Lori and
Edie came up the path at the other end of the courtyard,
snapping pictures as they walked, until Lori disappeared
from view.
When Edie saw Kate approach, she grinned. "Oh, you
should see some of the great shots we got tonight. We had
lots of orbs in a couple of pictures of the bell tower.
There might be even more when we can look at them on a
larger screen."
"You'll have to show me once you get them on the
computer." Kate glanced around the courtyard. "Where'd Lori
go?"
Edie turned around. "She was right behind… "
"Edie… Kate." Lori's voice, a loud and insistent
whisper, emanated from the shadows.
Kate flinched when she heard her name. She had no idea
why she was so jumpy tonight. They tracked down Lori and
found her kneeling by one of the crosses. She beckoned them
closer.
Edie rushed over with an eager grin, camera at the
ready. "Wow. Look at this." She squatted beside Lori.
The cross was smaller than most of the others, weather-
beaten and canted. There was a single letter in the center,
a T, and a single candle burned beside a bundle of large
white blossoms.
"Who do you think left those?" Lori whispered.
Kate shrugged. None of the other crosses had fresh
offerings. "Probably the priests, right?"
"I don't know." Lori glanced at the other
crosses. "Maybe this person's relatives still visit every
year."
"Can you imagine?" Edie whispered. "Being remembered
like that? I hope someone's still bringing me flowers after
I've been dead a couple hundred years."
Kate thought about correcting them, telling them these
crosses were memorials to the Native Americans. But she
didn't. Something about the cross held her rapt. The
conversation around her faded away as Kate moved in closer
to the fragrant blossoms.
She'd never seen flowers like these with huge, beautiful
blooms of white, silky petals and a center like pure
sunshine. And the scent. It was the primrose-like perfume
that made her reach out to touch them, entranced by their
spell.
Had she seen these flowers before?
"Kate? Are you okay?"
Kate looked up at Lori, her brow furrowed and mouth
pinched in concern. "I'm fine," she said, yanking her hand
away from the flowers. "Just a little tired, I guess."
"We're almost done. We need a couple more pictures
around the front by the steps," Edie said.
"All right." Kate straightened, still unable to pull her
attention away from the cross and its bouquet. "I'll wait
for you here, okay?"
Lori continued to frown, but Edie said, "No problem.
We'll be right back."
Kate watched them wander off before kneeling closer to
the cross. Unable to stop herself, she traced her finger
along the T in the center.
Behind her, someone cleared his throat. Kate jerked her
hand away and shot to her feet. When she turned around she
found a tall, dark-haired man staring at her.
Her cheeks flushed with heat. She hoped he hadn't
witnessed her touching the relic. She waited for some kind
of admonishment, but he didn't say anything.
Not with words.
Something in his dark eyes captured her. His gaze
wandered over her face like a tender caress, and strangely,
instead of screaming for Lori and Edie, she caught herself
imagining his touch on her skin.
"I hope I did not frighten you," he said.
His deep voice resonated through the empty courtyard,
and the intimate tone weakened her knees. The hint of a
Spanish accent didn't hurt, either. Nervous laughter
escaped her before she could contain it.
Her face warmed all over again. "Just a little startled.
I didn't see anyone else out here."
He stepped closer without encroaching on her personal
space, his eyes locked with hers from beneath thick
lashes. "Forgive me."
She swallowed hard and prayed she wasn't blushing. "No
problem." She looked away before she embarrassed herself
even further, focusing on the cross. "It's beautiful isn't
it?"
"Si." He nodded slowly. "Yes, it is." His barely there
smile made her think he wasn't referring to the flowers or
the cross. "I am Calisto. Calisto Terana."
Expectation hung as heavy as the scent of eucalyptus, as
if he waited to hear something more than just her name.
"I'm Kate." Instead of offering to shake his hand, she
tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "It's nice to
meet you."
"The honor is mine, Kate… " His accent colored the vowel
in her name. It had never sounded more beautiful. She
reminded herself to breathe.
When he hesitated for a moment waiting for her to speak,
she realized she hadn't shared her last name as he had. She
flipped through a rapid pro and con mental checklist, and
decided it couldn't hurt. Maybe they would meet again.
"Bradley," she said.
A sexy smile curved at the corners of his lips. "I hope
this will not be our last meeting."
She glanced around the shadowed courtyard, feeling
vulnerable, and almost gave in to her first instinct—to
run. But she remembered her promise to herself. Be strong.
Take action. She lifted her chin and said, "I guess you
never know."
With a smile that said he had every intention of seeing
her again, he tipped his head. "Buenos noches, Kate
Bradley."
Her heart raced and her palms sweated when she realized
he meant to leave. No man made her palms sweat. Ever.
His gaze held hers for a moment, full of unspoken
promises she didn't understand. Without another word, he
walked away.
Kate willed him to turn toward her one last time. It
would be easy to get addicted to the way his gaze caressed
her, entrancing her with his full attention. She wet her
lips and shook her head slowly, struggling to break the
spell.
A strange man had flirted with her in a dark courtyard.
Hello! Huge danger signal for a woman alone.
But she never felt threatened. As if she'd met him
before.
"Who was that?" Lori tucked her camera inside her bag.
"He said his name was Calisto Terana."
"He looked sexy from where I stood. Yum!" Edie grinned.
Lori nudged her with her elbow. "Looks can be deceiving.
Why was he loitering after Mass and hitting on Kate?"
There went Lori, being overprotective, like Kate was her
younger sister instead of a peer. Kate rolled her eyes. "He
wasn't hitting on me. He was a complete gentleman." She
paused, glancing in the direction he'd gone. "Old
fashioned."
Lori hooked her camera bag over her shoulder. "You
didn't give him your number, did you? Old fashioned or not,
you don't know anything about this guy."
"Yes, Mom! I've been a single adult just as long as you
have, remember?"
Lori hooked her arm through Kate's. "I still worry about
you. You've been through a lot lately. I don't want anyone
to take advantage of you."
Kate relaxed, though she still chafed at being treated
like a child. "Believe me, I don't want that either."
Part of her was shocked she even considered looking at
another man. A couple of weeks ago she wanted to wipe all
the bastards off the face of the earth, and then tonight a
gorgeous guy with an accent and a healthy dose of manners
suddenly had her heart racing. Go figure.
They started toward the car. Kate peeked over her
shoulder, wondering where Calisto had gone. No doubt it was
for the best that he walked away when he did.
But secretly she wished he had asked for her number.
Edie unlocked the car. "What kind of name is Calisto
anyway? It doesn't sound Mexican."
"Maybe Spanish?" Lori said.
Kate replayed the way he said her name. "He did have an
accent. Not quite Mexican though. Maybe he is from Spain."
"Oh, I love accents." Edie pretended to shiver. "Why
don't I ever meet handsome foreign men in dark courtyards?"
"Get in the car already." Lori smiled.
Their banter continued as Lori pulled out of the
mission's parking lot toward Old Town, but Kate wasn't
listening anymore. At the other end of the lot she saw him
standing in the moonlight.
Calisto.
He stared right into her eyes. Even at this distance,
the heat of his gaze flushed her skin, and her breath
caught in her throat.
What if she never saw him again? A knot of panic
tightened in her stomach.
He watched them roll down the driveway, bowing his head
before turning to walk back into the shadows. Kate sighed
and finally faced forward, chastising herself for acting
like a love-struck teenager. The last thing she needed
right now was a relationship. She'd just been burned so
badly that she took a leave of absence from her teaching
job and left the state of Nevada.
How could she stomach even looking at another man?
She stared out the window and smiled in spite of
herself. Calisto didn't seem like any other man she'd ever
met. Against her better judgment, she caught herself hoping
they would meet again.
§
1775
She was dead.
Part of him still could not, or would not, believe it.
Even now as he covered her body with dirt, he imagined this
was a foul dream. Still clothed in his missionary robes,
Father Gregorio Salvador prayed he would awaken to the
sound of her laughter, or see her dark eyes sparkle with
shared humor again. Tala had the most beautiful dark brown
eyes with a tiny hazel crescent at the bottom of her right
iris.
She used to smile at him every time he told her she had
the moon in her eyes.
His jaw clenched. He would have his vengeance.
As he laid the bundle of large, white Romneya flowers
over her grave, his tears fell onto the freshly turned soil
covering her body, like raindrops darkening the sandy dirt.
The sight brought him to his knees.
He knelt at her grave, silently begging the God he once
served for answers. Was it wrong to love her? Was God so
unforgiving of their sin that He sought to take her life
and damn his soul? They had hurt no one. He had broken his
covenant with God, yet she was forced to pay his penance
with her life? Why punish her?
But he already knew. What greater punishment could he
suffer than to go on living without her? He was certain no
deeper pain existed.
Surely God knew he had been no more than a naive boy
when he took his vows in Spain.
He buried Tala at the edge of the cliff where they met
in secret during the warm summer evenings to watch the sun
set over the water and color the sky. He hoped her soul
would find peace there. Taking the rosary beads from his
neck, he laid them over the flowers covering her final
resting place. He would never touch another rosary. God had
forsaken him, punished him for loving her, and he wouldn't
serve Him any longer.
Kissing his fingertips and touching the flowers, he
whispered, "My love forever."
He tugged at his collar, and then stripped off his robe.
Clothed only in his black wool pants and sandals, Father
Salvador walked into the darkness of the hills. He couldn't
bear to look back.
§
Calisto watched her until the car faded away into the
night. The Old One's promise had finally come true. With
his heightened vision, he had seen the lighter crescent of
color in the lower corner of her iris. He recognized her in
an instant. She had the moon in her eyes.
Tala, his love, lived again.
Her features were familiar, but not exactly as she had
once been. Her skin was lighter now and the angle of her
jaw softer, but her long black hair and her eyes had not
changed. Hearing her voice, seeing her smile, brought back
memories of a life they once shared.
The sound of her laughter was like a burst of sunlight
in his endless night.
But Kate Bradley wasn't Tala. She had no memory of him.
It was a bittersweet moment to see her face again, yet be
unable to touch her. Although she didn't seem to fear him
as a stranger, she also didn't recognize him as a lover.
He knew nothing about her life now.
The desire to touch her had overwhelmed him. He yearned
to taste her lips and hold her in his arms. There would be
time for that later, he promised himself.
It would have been simple to reach for her thoughts and
learn her secrets, to become exactly the man she desired,
but he denied himself the intrusion. He vowed not to use
his preternatural power to entrance her or to listen to her
private thoughts. He'd given up his mortality, his soul,
for this moment, this second chance, and if she fell in
love with him again, he needed to know it was real. No
other person had ever touched his life like she had. Though
she was no longer Tala, surely a piece of the soul he once
loved lived inside of her.
Calisto walked into the shadows, wondering if she still
sang with a voice that rivaled the angels. Would she dance
with him in the waves of the Pacific as they had centuries
before?
He was anxious to find out. How long had it been since
he'd been eager for anything? A smile tugged at the corner
of his mouth. Kate Bradley.
He would see her again. Soon.
Clearing his thoughts, Calisto opened himself to his
animal spirit, allowing the raven to take shape in his
mind. Gradually, the air around him sparked with energy as
his body shifted and changed from a tall, dark-haired man
into a large, jet-black raven. Fully changed, he shook his
body and stretched out his wings before launching himself
into the air. Silently, he soared with the wind and winged
his way through the night sky.