"Who made the pact?"
The question remained suspended in the room.
Elara looked at Bryan. For several seconds, she seemed unable to decide whether telling him would save him or destroy whatever was left of his trust in her.
Finally, she spoke. "Your ancestor."
Bryan's expression didn't change. "Which ancestor?"
"The first one."
Amelia frowned. "The first Ravencrest?"
Elara nodded. "His name was Adrian."
Bryan stared at the photograph. The man standing beside Elara looked exactly like him. Not similar. Exactly. The same eyes. The same mouth. The same sharp line of his jaw. Even the slight crease between his brows was there.
It was like looking at Bryan through a window into another century.
"What did he pact with?"
Elara's gaze shifted toward the black box. "
