Holly

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Holly by Adalyn Grace

It’s just a few days before Christmas, the first one that Blythe and Aris will spend together in twenty-seven years where neither is dead or dying. They plan to spend it with her father Elijah, her dear cousin Signa, and her partner Sylas, the personification of Death and Aris’s brother. Because you can’t be too careful and they have a history of terrible luck, Blythe is using her magic as Life to put holly all over Wisteria to keep evil spirits away. While Aris, reincarnated in his new body, tries to seduce Blythe, Sylas interrupts. Blythe asks him about the present which Sylas is helping her with and he confirms he has things in hand. This is a useful conversation as it seems Aris failed to get his wife anything for Christmas. While he goes to panic, Blythe continues decorating.

Aris needs help so goes in search of Signa who is in the library he gifted Blythe for Christmas twenty-seven years ago. She’s sitting under a very heavily decorated tree with her dog Gundry wrapping presents for the local children’s hospital. After making Aris help, he explains his gift giving problem: what does he get Blythe, and Elijah, and Sylas, and if she wants to tell him what she’d like that would be super helpful. It’s difficult to buy presents for immortal beings and, even more difficult, your father-in-law. Signa, however, is no help whatsoever, telling Aris that gifts are personal and Blythe only wants a quiet Christmas together. Speaking of quiet Christmas, Gundry starts growling at several scattered books. From the look on Signa’s face, they’re about to be terrorized by spirits. 

It starts as one spirit in a garish, flouncy, powder-pink dress and sporting a slightly singed antler headdress looking for Jules, she saw him yesterday. Then a man with powdered skin, a doublet of periwinkle, tight white tights and sporting a periwig that curls upwards, asking if he is Jules. No, he is not. Then an older woman in luxurious silks shouting “get to your places” with a silent man in a matching outfit standing next to her. In the end there are around a dozen spirits in a loop. Aris cannot see or hear any of them, and when Signa calls for Death’s assistance, he’s too busy getting Christmas presents. They are on their own. 

While Death is many miles away on an errand for Blythe to find a particular soul, Blythe, oblivious of the spirits menacing Wisteria, drags Aris and Signa to the parlor for a game. Elijah is already sitting at the table where there is a bowl with raisins, brandy and sand. Blythe pours the brandy over the raisins and sets them alight. Signa groans, she does not like to play Snapdragon. 

As Elijah plays first then Blythe, both father and daughter are extremely competitive, the first spirit in pink tulle comes in and is mesmerized by the flame. The spirit doesn’t blink or move in anyway and Signa knows this could lead to something explosive from her. It’s when Aris puts his hand into the flaming brandy that the spirit screams, causing the brandy bottle to smash and the bowl to tip. Quickly the flames are put out with the sand and Blythe tends to Aris’s burn. The spirit is curled on the floor holding her head and Signa sees that she has no soles of her feet - they’ve been burned off. Elijah, used to spirits, understands something has happened that Signa must deal with and he offers assistance, but in the meantime, he will be in the study. Meanwhile, Aris distracts Blythe so Signa can talk to the spirit. The spirit says she remembers a fire and also repeats that she is looking for Jules. Taking a new tactic, Signa tells her she knows Jules and asks who is trying to find him. The spirit, surprising herself, says Odette. At least Signa now has a name. 

After Signa reminds Aris that they are to sort out the spirits together, she heads to her room to rest. Aris has been busy helping transform Wisteria into the festive paradise of Blythe’s dreams with moving frescoes and murals. Signa’s room has been turned into plush gingerbread themed luxury, even the gingerbread man door smells of the treats. Before she can rest for the evening, a gaggle of the spirits come into her room, pointing out garlands and wreaths and other items in her room that would be perfect for their needs. In the end only three are left, two girls and a boy. When Signa acknowledges them by asking them to leave, they are intrigued and instead stay. As frustrating as this may be, really Signa is happy for now she has a mystery to sink her teeth into.

Meanwhile, Blythe has tempted Aris away from his tapestries to bed, but just as her dress is about to come off, Aris sees her body covered with goosebumps and feels a chill in the air. That’s not right, his magic should ensure the room is the perfect temperature, so it can only be a spirit. Because he isn’t voyeuristic, Aris stops Blythe from undressing. Blythe is confused and worried, their room is soundproof after all, so no one will be able to hear what they get up to, and Aris’s explanations are pretty weak. Aris fakes being tired, turns her dress into bed clothes, and snuggles down to sleep next to his wife. Blythe insists he tell her what is going on soon. 

The next morning at breakfast, Aris and Blythe are all canoodly, Signa is exhausted having been kept awake all night by spirits, and Elijah is enjoying the food. Blythe seems to accept Signa’s excuse that she slept badly from missing Sylas and has the decency to be sheepish as his errand is at her behest. All through breakfast, Signa can see the spirits dancing around. She has a plan to find answers in the town of Brude where Aris moved Wisteria upon his return. Blythe and Aris aren’t going to let Signa have all the fun in the town and decide to go with her. While Signa tries to find answers about the spirits, Aris will keep his wife occupied Christmas shopping, hoping to find a gift for her himself. Who has the harder job? 

Blythe and Aris window shop and Blythe benevolently suggests they give Elijah a new suit; however, Aris already knows what to give his father-in-law, his wife though is a different matter. Blythe tells him she loves things he makes with his magic but what she really wants is to enjoy this Christmas. Aris knows exactly where to start and picks Blythe up, carrying her through town fireman style until he throws her into a snowdrift. After a magic assisted snow fight and some strange looking snow angels, they admit they could spend two million Christmases together and it wouldn’t be enough but they’ll make that their starting point. 

While Blythe and Aris are being all cute and in love, Signa is wandering the cemetery. She likes the cemetery and it's quiet. She’s trying to find grave markers belonging to Odette or Jules. Sylas comes to her, he won’t tell her where he’s been or what he’s doing, but he can help for a couple of hours. Signa finds a mausoleum decorated in flames, a little on the nose but very promising. Inside she finds a marker for Odette Van Der Meer, 1682-1705. Now she plans to sit and wait for someone to visit the mausoleum so she can question them. Sylas, however, needs to leave. It takes more than six hours of waiting before an old gentleman comes inside and lays flowers by Odette’s marker. Signa correctly assumes this is Jules. 

Jules explains he was part of a ballet company and desperately in love with Odette. He’d planned to ask her to marry him on Christmas morning but she died in a fire on Christmas Eve. A fire he started because he didn’t put the ash from his pipe out properly. Signa tries to tell Jules the truth, that she has seen Odette and the company, but he calls her cruel. As he leaves, Signa tells him they died from the fumes not the flames, hoping to reassure him a little, but it doesn’t. 

Signa has a plan. She’s going to ask the spirits to perform their ballet. Aris is skeptical that it will work or that it should even be called a plan. Together they sit in the library and Signa asks the ballet mistress for the performance to begin. Everyone takes their places and… nothing happens. They need music! Sure the spirit musicians must be in Wisteria somewhere, Signa has another plan and heads to the piano in the parlor. While she butchers a song, a musician spirit comes in and looks like he’s on the verge of losing it. Thankfully Signa stops “playing” and Aris takes over. Of course Aris can play with the skill of ten masters which calms the spirit down and attracts two more… and Blythe followed by Elijah. Blythe now wants to sing carols. Signa, knowing Blythe's singing talents are about as good as hers at playing piano, suggests Elijah start. After a song, they make plans to actually go caroling though Signa pleads a headache. She has the intention of gathering a piano, violin and flute for the musicians to play for the spirit ballet. Hopefully in a few hours she can have this whole mess sorted. 

Death is still on his errand for Blythe, though he wishes he could be at Wisteria with Signa even if it would foil his plan with Signa and the spirits. Deciding a new tactic is needed, Death magics himself into Blythe and Aris’s bedroom and takes a couple of items of clothing, needing their scent. Back in the town, he spreads the garments about and sits and waits. It takes a while but eventually a cat approaches one of Blythe’s nightgowns. Slowly and using his shadows, Death is able grab the cat by its scruff. With a huge smile, he disappears. 

Back in Brude, Blythe, Aris and Elijah head into the town, caramels in hand. Elijah, who doesn’t have an ounce of stage fright in him, starts their caroling off and Aris, not to be outdone, joins in. Soon they are singing with gusto and filling pockets with sweets. Blythe doesn’t join in, she’s admiring the town, the people and her family. She then spots Sylas hiding between two buildings. He has the cat with him and looks as if he’s been at war with it. Sylas wants Blythe to verify the cat is the one she wants and when it tries to spit and jump away, Blythe laughs at its beastly behavior, declaring it’s the one. They agree to hide the creature at Foxglove. 

At Wisteria in Blythe’s library, Aris has prepared an array of instruments for the musicians. Signa arrives and asks the ballet mistress if they may begin. As Jules is nowhere to be seen, Odette must sit out and understudies Jeanne and Laurent dance in their place. At first Odette sits crying, but then as she watches Jeanne and Laurent, her eyes go dark and she becomes angry, then all the spirits seem to become angry. Before Signa can do anything, Odette screams, setting off the other spirits and causing them to go mad. The ballet mistress grabs Signa by the throat, a hold she can’t break from. As the cold numbs her body, Sylas arrives and pulls them apart. Sylas settles Signa into a chair before pulling his scythe. Just as he brandishes it, the front doors of Wisteria open. 

Blythe and Aris have returned, and despite Aris’s best efforts to keep his wife out of the library, Blythe has had her powers for twenty-seven years and has been practicing. In the library, Blythe finds Death in full floaty, shadowy majesty and her cousin floating. Blythe stomps in, grabs her cousin and takes her by the fire to warm up. After they admit that Wisteria is haunted by dozens of theatrical spirits, Blythe then explains that all she wanted for Christmas was her family and they can sort this mess out together, plus spirits don’t like to be near her because she has a glow. Signa explains what she knows about Jules, the fire and the performance, figuring they need to put on their final show. Elijah comes in then and explains that what performers need is an audience. Blythe has a brilliant plan. 

The next morning over breakfast, Blythe goes over her plan before setting everyone off on their tasks. She and Aris head to her library where she takes out a fresh canvas and paints ready to magically rearrange her space. As Blythe paints a huge and magical theatre, Aris sets to work making elaborate and magical costume masterpieces. After, Aris takes Blythe to the giant Christmas tree to give her his gift a day early. It's his tapestry, and Blythe, obviously, adores it. 

For their task, Signa and Sylas need to head into Brude and locate Jules. On the way Sylas confesses the mystery of the spirits was meant to keep her busy and entertained. She's been so listless lately and so he thought the need to investigate something would fulfill what she's been missing. Signa forgives him because, though misguided, his heart was definitely in the right place. They then get distracted, Signa leaning against a tree and Sylas under her skirts. After, both much happier and Signa flushed, they head to Jules’ house. The old man ignores Signa’s knocking and  instead drinks his morning whisky, so Sylas puts on a bit of theatrics himself helping Signa gain entry. Signa tells Jules what she told him of Odette and his friend is true, and when Jules asks how he can help, Signa tells him that they need him to dance.

That afternoon there is a nervous energy in Wisteria as the performers flutter about and villagers from Brude settle to watch the performance. Backstage, Blythe and Aris watch the costumes twirl and move as the spirits wearing them get into their places, Signa and Sylas being the only ones who can see them. Signa goes and fetches Jules who is wearing a silver costume and glitter upon his face. When he comes back stage and sees the costumes moving about, he realizes Signa really did tell him the truth. A pink tulle dress comes up to him and he knows it’s Odette. Signa translates for Odette so that Jules can hear that Odette has missed him, would have said yes to his proposal and does not blame him. They then take to the stage and put on a beautiful, moving performance. At the end, the spirits glow and reach for Death. They are ready for the reaper and to move on.

Death ferries the souls of the performers to the afterlife and returns to Wisteria and the room he is sharing with Signa. Signa, however, is not there. He notices the window open and a single belladonna berry on the windowsill, and in the distance, he sees a light. In Sylas’s mind he can hear Signa laugh and beckon him. Following the light, he finds her in a garden and in the dress he gave her the first night they danced together and wearing the masquerade mask Blythe gave her. Signa’s gift to Sylas is to recreate that night. Sylas uses his shadows to recreate the onyx suit and together they dance into eternity. 

On Christmas morning, Blythe and her family have a fabulous breakfast and she at last gives Aris his gift. Sylas deposits the hissing cat on Aris who instantly calms and starts to purr, weaving between his legs. At first Aris is confused then realizes the cat is the reincarnation of his fox Beasty! Later, after finishing decorating the Christmas tree, they exchange gifts. Aris gives Sylas a new cowl with bells sewn on and a goblet from a night many years ago they got very, very drunk from mead. Signa is gifted a journal and quill with endless ink which, when she uses it to write in the journal, the message will appear in its partner which Blythe has. She’s also given a new copy of A Lady’s Guide to Beauty and Etiquette, the book she had with her when she moved to Thorn Grove when their journey together all began. Elijah is given a new suit and a key that if put into any lock will open to Wisteria. Blythe is given a set of croquet mallets. 

As Christmas Day comes to a close, Sylas leaves to ferry souls, Blythe and Elijah sleep by the fire with Gundry and Beasty, Signa sketches in her book, and Aris goes to his study. All is quiet until Aris signals for Signa, he has one more gift for her. He came across it many years before and believes she should be the one to have it and it might help answer some questions she has about her mother and Chaos. The gift is a stopwatch that has symbols instead of numbers, and as Signa holds it, she feels the ticking. She slips it into her pocket to ponder later. For now, she will enjoy Christmas.