Holly by Adalyn Grace

Here is a summary with spoilers for Holly by Adalyn Grace

Blythe Dryden, the reincarnation of Life, prepares Wisteria Gardens for Christmas with meticulous care, draping the house in holly and wards to protect her family and preserve the holiday she has longed decades to reclaim. With her husband Aris returned, the estate hums with renewed magic, and the couple shares warm intimacy, savoring their first Christmas together since being reunited. Their quiet joy is punctuated by Sylas, Aris’s brother and the embodiment of Death, whose teasing hides deep affection and loyalty to the family. Blythe secretly enlists Sylas’s help to orchestrate a special gift for Aris, while he frets over finding a worthy present for her and the rest of their reunited household. As Aris seeks guidance from Signa, Sylas’s wife, he reflects on his past as a tailor and the magic inherent in creation, realizing the greatest gift Blythe desires is simply the family together and a peaceful holiday.

Their calm is disrupted when spirits unexpectedly manifest within Wisteria, trapped in loops from past tragedies, revealing that the supposedly safe estate is more haunted than anyone realized. Signa discovers the spirits are bound to a long-ago fire and seek someone named Jules, forcing her to manage the haunting with Aris while keeping Blythe unaware to protect her happiness. As the house fills with restless ghosts, Aris transforms Wisteria into a lavish Christmas wonderland while Signa carefully monitors the spirits, observing subtle divisions and burn marks that hint at a single catastrophic event tying them together. Blythe continues decorating with fervor, driven by love for her family, while her renewed closeness with Aris is shadowed by hints of unseen danger.

The family’s attempts at normal holiday cheer are repeatedly tested. During a raucous game of snapdragon, a spirit slips into the parlor, causing a dangerous flare of fire that Signa must extinguish while uncovering the spirit’s identity as Odette. Odette reveals her search for Jules and the lingering trauma of the fire, giving Signa critical clues about the haunting’s origin. Though Aris argues for keeping Blythe in the dark, Signa begins to understand the deeper mystery behind the spirits and the fire that binds them. As Christmas draws closer, the tension between preserving a perfect holiday and confronting the restless dead grows. Even intimate moments between Blythe and Aris are tinged with unease, as the palace’s magic cannot fully conceal the spirits’ presence and their growing influence.

Recognizing that Wisteria alone cannot provide the answers, Signa sets out to investigate the surrounding village of Brude, joined by Blythe and Aris under the guise of a festive outing. Amid the vibrant streets and holiday bustle, Signa uncovers the persistent shadow of lingering souls, confirming that Wisteria’s spirits are only a small part of a wider truth. She steels herself to unravel the events that trapped the ghosts, knowing that only by uncovering the precise chain of tragedy on Wisteria’s land can she finally free them. Even as the family enjoys fleeting moments of warmth, laughter, and gift-giving, the fragile peace of Christmas at Wisteria hangs by a thread, balanced between festive joy and the looming mystery that demands resolution.

Blythe and Aris enjoy a rare reprieve in Brude, immersing themselves in the town’s festive charm and relishing moments of playful intimacy. They wander snow-laden streets, delight in music and holiday sights, and engage in spirited snowball fights, their connection strengthened by shared mischief and affection. Aris demonstrates his love and care through thoughtful gestures, while Blythe revels in the simple joy of his presence and their regained closeness. Despite past hardships and the lingering threat of spirits at Wisteria, these moments ground them in the power of love and companionship, offering a much-needed reprieve from decades of separation and struggle.

Meanwhile, Signa investigates the spirits’ origins in Brude’s cemetery, discovering Odette Van der Meer and encountering Jules, the elderly man responsible for the theater fire that claimed Odette and others decades earlier. Though he resists accepting responsibility, Signa resolves to use this knowledge to free the trapped spirits. Back at Wisteria, she begins guiding the spirits, realizing their need for music and performance to complete their unfinished acts. Aris steps in to play piano, calming the spirits while Blythe and Elijah assist in engaging them. Together, they prepare the library as a magical stage, with Signa orchestrating the delicate balance of spectral and human participants, edging closer to freeing the ghosts.

Death, still far from Wisteria, struggles with homesickness and longing for Signa, using clever methods to lure the specific soul he seeks for his carefully prepared Christmas gift for Aris. A feral cat carrying a piece of Blythe’s clothing becomes the key to his task, demonstrating his patience and strategic cunning. Meanwhile, Blythe cleverly notices the cat and, together with Sylas, ensures it is safely hidden while keeping Aris unaware, allowing her to enjoy both the enchantment of Brude and the thrill of shared secrets.

As the spirits’ performance at Wisteria intensifies, Odette grows defiant, and a rogue ballet mistress attempts to possess Signa. Sylas intervenes, forming a protective barrier and restoring order, with Gundry aiding them against the more aggressive spirits. Blythe and Aris arrive to confront the chaos, using magic to shield Signa and control the spirits. Through their combined efforts, they discover that the ghosts are performers from a theater fire over sixty years ago, desperate to complete their final show. Together, Blythe, Aris, and Signa craft a plan to provide the spirits with an audience so they can perform and move on, blending creativity, courage, and magical skill.

On Christmas Eve, preparations culminate in a magical theater performance at Wisteria Gardens. Blythe and Aris design the stage and costumes, while Signa guides the spirits and ensures safety for both them and the audience. Jules, confronted with the reality of Odette and the other spirits, participates in a final dance that allows Odette to find peace. Sylas guides the remaining souls onward, freeing the trapped spirits and leaving Jules reconciled. The audience remains unaware of the miracle, while Signa and her companions silently celebrate the spirits’ release.

Death, having completed his errand, reunites with Signa in a moonlit clearing. Wearing the dress he once gifted, they recreate the memory of their first dance, embracing their love and reflecting on their journey through darkness, loss, and immortality. They savor the quiet magic of the night, reaffirming that they will face whatever comes next together.

Christmas morning at Wisteria Gardens brings warmth, laughter, and reunions for Blythe, Aris, Signa, Sylas, Elijah, and the mischievous Beasty. Aris is reunited with Beasty, long feared lost, and the family exchanges enchanted gifts that honor their shared history. Amid magical mishaps, playful chaos, and tender moments, Blythe reflects on how far they have come since past trials, realizing that the greatest gift of all is being together fully, safely, and happily, with love, family, and magic intertwined.

After a joyful Christmas filled with family, games, and warmth at Wisteria Gardens, Signa experiences a quiet, intimate moment with Aris, who presents her with a mysterious, centuries-old stopwatch capable of revealing long-hidden truths about her parents and the forces that shaped her life. The gift carries both promise and danger, and while Aris warns her against rushing to use it, the weight of curiosity and the potential to uncover answers lingers in her mind. As the snow falls softly outside and the estate rests in a rare, peaceful stillness, Signa pockets the stopwatch, aware that secrets of the past remain unresolved, and the future may hold revelations that could change everything she knows about her family, her powers, and the unseen forces surrounding Wisteria.