This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice.

The iron gates of Ravenshollow Manor creaked open with a sound that seemed to echo from another century. Margaret Whitmore stepped from her rental car onto the gravel drive, clutching the brass key that had arrived in the mail three weeks ago along with a letter that changed everything she thought she knew about her family.

The October wind whipped through the ancient oak trees that lined the property, their skeletal branches casting dancing shadows across the gothic façade of the mansion. Margaret had never seen the place before, yet something about its towering spires and arched windows felt hauntingly familiar, as if she had walked these grounds in dreams she couldn't quite remember.

According to the letter from the estate attorney, Ravenshollow Manor had belonged to her great-aunt Cordelia Whitmore, a woman Margaret's parents had never once mentioned in all her twenty-eight years. The inheritance was unexpected and complete—the house, the grounds, and all contents within. The only stipulation was that Margaret must spend at least thirty consecutive days on the property to claim ownership fully.

As she approached the massive oak front door, Margaret noticed the intricate carvings that adorned its surface. Celtic knots intertwined with symbols she didn't recognize, all surrounding a central motif of an eye within a triangle. The brass knocker was shaped like a raven with wings spread wide, its obsidian eyes seeming to follow her movement.

The key turned easily in the lock, as if the house itself was welcoming her home. The door swung open to reveal a grand foyer with a marble staircase that curved upward into shadows. Dust motes danced in the pale afternoon light that filtered through stained glass windows, casting colorful patterns across the Persian rugs that covered the hardwood floors.