Belladonna

A 19-year-old Signa reflects on her past interactions with Death and how she has seen him take the souls of many of her relatives while leaving her to live. Several times Signa has been close to dying, but Death always heals her and leaves her be. Wanting to draw Death out and test the limits of her invincibility, Signa makes tea made from the lethal belladonna flower. She is stopped from drinking it by her Aunt Magda, who believes Signa is practicing witchcraft and fears her powers.

After she was orphaned, Signa was passed between relatives who wanted a part of the large inheritance she would receive when she turned 20. However, all of her relatives would die while she was in their care, leading people to think that Death followed Signa. Signa can’t wait to turn 20 and have a house of her own where she won’t have to be alone.

Later that night, Signa swallows a lethal dose of belladonna berries to confront Death. When he arrives, Signa demands that he tell her why he is ruining her life, but when Death doesn’t give a direct answer, Signa takes a knife and strikes him in the chest.

The blade slips through Death when Signa stabs him and has no effect on him. Signa knows that Death never leaves empty-handed once he has been summoned, but she is surprised when Aunt Magda comes into the room and dies when Signa touches her. The spirit of Aunt Magda curses her as Signa recognizes the gravity of what she has done. Death promises to return in two days when he will prove to her that he is not her enemy.

The neighbors fear Signa as the coroner comes to Magda’s house. Signa begins to wonder if her touch killed her aunt, and when she finds an abandoned baby bird, she tests her theory by touching it. When the bird does not die, Signa takes more belladonna berries and feels Death’s presence as she slips into the space between life and death. This time when she touches the bird, it stops breathing. Signa does not acknowledge Death despite having many questions about her newfound powers.

Signa knows two things about spirits: They can only haunt the place where they died, and they will leave if their corpse is burned. Aunt Magda’s spirit annoys Signa even in death so she knows what she has to do when she receives a letter from Elijah Hawthorne, a wealthy distant relative, inviting her to stay at his home in Thorn Grove. Elijah Hawthorne is the husband of Magda’s granddaughter Lillian, and a carriage is sent from Thorn Grove to bring Signa there two days after Magda’s death.

A young man named Sylas Thorly is sent to escort her to Thorn Grove. Signa is surprised that none of the Hawthornes have come instead. Sylas tells her, however, that Lillian has died and her daughter Blythe is sick. Signa is unsure how to act when she is alone with a man, having learned little about the subject from her etiquette books. However, Sylas seems cold and indifferent toward her and Signa is just glad to be leaving her aunt’s home.

Signa is surprised to learn that she will be traveling by train, a relatively new and luxurious invention in Victorian England. Distracted by the novelty of the bustling train station, Signa loses Sylas in the crowd and has to rush to get to their train. Signa is annoyed by Sylas and can tell he doesn’t like her much either, but she recognizes that he is not a cruel person as he tells her about Thorn Grove. She learns that Sylas used to work in the garden before Lillian was buried there, and now he works in the stables. Sylas speaks well of Lillian, whose illness was mysterious and sudden.

Signa is shocked by the wealth and splendor she sees at Thorn Grove, an estate that has been in the family for generations and that has recently benefited from Hawthorne’s success as the owner of Grey’s, a gentleman’s club. At the manor, Sylas leaves Signa to introduce herself to the butler, Charles Warwick, the governess, Marjorie Hargreaves, and her cousin and Elijah’s son, Percy Hawthorne. Marjorie shows Signa to her suite, but Signa is distracted by the sounds of a party coming from the other side of the house.

On the way to her room, Marjorie is accosted by a mysterious man named Byron, who tells Signa not to pay attention to him as guests should not be on the upper floors. Signa is excited when she sees her decadent new suite, and learns that the next day she will begin taking lessons with Marjorie so she can make her debut as an eligible bachelorette in the spring. Marjorie leaves Signa to explore the house but mentions that she should not disturb the guests at the party.

Signa watches from the landing of the stairs as she tries to piece together the puzzle of the party downstairs. She notices that no one is paying any attention to etiquette at the party and is embarrassed to see the kind of company she is in. She hears Percy speaking with Byron and learns Byron is Percy’s uncle. Signa also finally sees Elijah Hawthorne, who is extremely intoxicated and has been throwing parties to distract himself from his wife’s death for months. Percy is furious with his father’s actions and also with Signa once he finds her spying on the party.

Signa wants to go back to her room to clear her head, but she sees a spirit in the corner of her eye and quickly becomes lost in the grand estate. As she wanders, she feels the coldness of spirits or Death lurking around her until she finds the room of Blythe Hawthorne. Signa feels drawn to her cousin, but when she inadvertently mentions Lillian, Blythe becomes angry with Signa and kicks her out. Simultaneously, Signa feels Death’s presence and runs as fast as she can to get someone who can save Blythe.

Blythe is attended to and doesn’t die that night, to Signa’s relief. When Signa finally meets Elijah, he seems angry at her, but he is surprised to see that Signa has the same eyes as his late wife. Signa becomes convinced that Death is following her and that, because of him, she will not last long at Thorn Grove before she must be passed on to other relatives.

Later that night, Signa sees the spirit she believed to be following her earlier and follows it outside the house. The spirit traps Signa, where she can see that the ghost is Lillian Hawthorne. Lillian moans, screams and tries to attack Signa, so Signa threatens to burn her body and send her spirit away. Signa learned from Sylas that Lillian’s illness had taken her tongue, so Lillian cannot speak when Signa asks what she wants from her. Instead, Lillian writes a message in the dirt that says, “Come to my garden and save her” (70). Signa realizes the message is about Blythe. She thinks that if she can save the girl and cheat Death, then Death will finally leave her alone and let her live the life she wants.

The following morning, Signa has a new wardrobe made to get her out of mourning wear and ready to make her debut in the spring. Signa is exhausted from the previous night’s adventures but cheerfully goes to her lessons with Marjorie, where she is met by Percy and Blythe. During a piano lesson, Signa hears Lillian’s wailing and it seems Blythe does too. While Blythe is escorted back to her bed, Signa sees mud and worms appear beneath everything she touches and takes it as a signal that she needs to heed Lillian’s instructions.