Enchantra

While sightseeing in Rome, Genevieve Grimm encounters a flock, or murder, of crows who chase her back to the townhome where she is staying. Her sister Ophelia planned this trip for her as a vacation, but Genevieve has hidden intentions of her own. From her trunk, she retrieves a letter she brought with her from her home in Grimm Manor back in New Orleans. The letter is addressed to her late mother, Tessie Grimm, from a man named Barrington Silver, who implores Tessie to come visit the Enchantra estate before the spring equinox, after which Barrington must take a “sabbatical” to perform duties for someone named Knox. The letter also has a crow depicted in the background of the writing, illustrating the connection between Enchantra and the crows following her, likely as the result of a hex enclosed within the letter. Genevieve opened the letter back in Grimm Manor and became curious about Enchantra, hoping to find out more about her mother’s past from Barrington. She hears the birds scraping at her window and realizes that she is running out of time to reach Enchantra, as the spring equinox approaches. She tells the birds that she’s going and finishes packing her room.

Genevieve sits in a first-class sleeping car on the train from Rome to the Tuscan countryside. She takes out a photo of her mother Tessie and Barrington wearing matching lockets, wondering again about her mother’s relationship to Barrington. Genevieve felt alone for much of her childhood, as Tessie spent most of her time training Ophelia to take over the family magic and become a necromancer. Genevieve hid her spectral magic from her mother to avoid the scrutiny of her mother and to keep her freedom, but she found herself becoming more curious to learn about her mother’s past and her own abilities. Then, she found the letter from Barrington. Instead of talking to Ophelia, Genevieve decided to seek out Barrington to find the truth. She’s arriving close to the spring equinox, and she hopes Barrington will still see her. She feels guilty for impersonating her mother in her letters to Barrington, but she endeavors to meet Barrington anyway.

When the train arrives at her stop, a porter helps Genevieve with her bags. Genevieve then finds a carriage driver willing to take her to Enchantra in exchange for a generous tip. He drives Genevieve to the location based on the map she provides him, but when they arrive, there is nothing but an empty lot with a gate that says “Enchantra.”

Genevieve stares at the gate and sees a shimmer, indicating the presence of magic in the area. She also sees the crows circling in the sky. The driver offers to take Genevieve back to town, pushing back when Genevieve insists that she can stay. Genevieve uses her spectral powers to make her body flicker and threatens him until he leaves. Once he’s gone, Genevieve investigates the gate. She sees berries and recalls a line from Barrington’s letter that references ripe demonberries. She’s drawn to the berries, and before she eats one, she hears Farrow Henry’s voice in her head calling her a demon.

Genevieve was in love with Farrow Henry before her entrance into Phantasma. Their relationship ended badly, as Genevieve thinks of smoke and fire and the cruelty of his voice when he comes to her mind. She pushes past the memories of Farrow and eats a berry. She looks back at the gate and sees a sprawling hedge maze and massive, glittering house bejeweled in silver pearls where there was before an empty lot. Genevieve uses her Specter powers to push through the gate.

As she approaches the hedge maze, Genevieve feels as if she’s being watched. She sees a black fox that seems intelligent. She tells the fox that she’s been invited, holding out the letter. The fox takes the letter and runs away. Genevieve chases the fox down, but before she can get the letter back, the fox disappears into a plume of smoke. Genevieve watches a crow fall out of the sky, dead with its belly full of berries. Genevieve begins to feel strange before she faints. She wakes briefly to the feeling of the fox sniffing her face and the sound of a deep voice praising the fox in a language that Genevieve is shocked she can understand. She falls unconscious again, dreaming of Farrow calling her a demon and threatening to burn her. She wakes up outside Enchantra’s gates with her trunks.

Genevieve stands up and dusts herself off before looking back at the gate. The house has disappeared again, but the memories of the berries, the fox, and the strange voice come back to her. She tries to touch the gate, but it burns her. She uses her Specter powers and walks through the gate. She approaches the front of the house and knocks on the door. A tall, handsome man with eyes the same color as those of the fox answers. Genevieve finds him captivating and introduces herself. He asks her what she wants, and she asks to see Barrington Silver. The man refuses and slams the door on her.

Genevieve knocks again, and when the man answers, shadowy magic surrounds him. Genevieve thought that Barrington Silver may have been a necromancer like her mother, but this magic is clearly something else. She again asks to see Barrington and tells the man she was invited, but he mockingly asks to see her invitation. She accuses him of having his fox steal it, and he tells her that the letter was for Tessie, not for her, and the spring equinox is now here. He admits to saving Genevieve and leaving her outside the gates, but he tells her again to leave and closes the door. Genevieve yearns to find other people like her, and she feels Barrington would want that for her. She utilizes her Specter powers and walks through the door, finding nothing but silence.

The foyer is grand and beautiful, with an ornate mosaic of the night sky encrusted with jewels, a massive chandelier, and candles in sconces on the walls. However, dust is everywhere, and Genevieve associates the opulence with decay. She continues to explore and finds a series of portraits of people with striking eyes posed with various animals. Genvieve hears a thud and notices two double doors opening. She enters a ballroom. On the ceiling, a fresco depicts a battle among supernatural creatures. There are several mirrors around the room, all covered with cloth. She finds a large staircase and begins to climb it. Genevieve sees the fox and chases it before running into a woman with white hair and stunning eyes. Genevieve recognizes her from one of the portraits, and she speaks the same strange language that Genevieve inexplicably understands. The woman accuses Genevieve of trespassing, then asks whether she is one of Knox’s guests who arrived early for the Hunt. Genevieve is confused and says she followed the fox. The woman then calls the fox Umbra and references Rowington, the man Genevieve met earlier.

Another voice calls out for the woman, calling her Ellin. Genevieve watches a man enter the room and ask Ellin where Genevieve came from. The man, named Sevin, is clearly Ellin’s brother. He and Ellin question Genevieve about her connection to Rowington, nicknamed Rowin. Genevieve claims to be with Rowin, then she slips into her Specter form to sneak away after Ellin and Sevin become distracted by Grave, another of their siblings. As Genevieve reappears in her corporeal form, she runs into Rowin—the man who tried to send her away when she first appeared at the door—who is shocked she’s a Specter. He tells Genevieve that he would’ve let the demonberries take her if he knew she was a Specter. Genevieve reveals that she met his siblings, and she asks him about Knox, the mysterious Grave, the Hunt, and Barrington Silver. Rowin says she’ll find her answers in time and asks her if she’s married. Genevieve says she’s single, but finds his query confusing. A man arrives and says Knox will be cross if the mirrors are still covered when he arrives, and Genevieve recognizes him as Barrington Silver.

Barrington looks exactly the same as Genevieve’s photo, leading her to realize he’s immortal. He’s not like the mortal Grimms, which makes Genevieve regret coming, as clearly the Silvers are not like her family and cannot give her the sense of belonging that she yearns for. Barrington is upset at Rowin about Genevieve’s presence. Genevieve offers to leave, but Rowin and Barrington tell her it’s too late. Rowin makes a strange statement claiming that Genevieve’s presence could be a benefit to him. Barrington sends Rowin to tell his siblings what is going on.

Alone with Genevieve, Barrington recognizes her as Tessie’s daughter. Genevieve confesses that Tessie told her nothing about him, and Barrington is upset that Genevieve has arrived at Enchantra on the spring equinox. Genevieve must cooperate with him to survive the situation. He explains that the house belongs to a Devil named Knox, whose magic allows Genevieve to understand the language of Hell, which is the strange dialect all the Silvers speak. Barrington is Knox’s familiar, meaning he’s connected to the Devil and immortal, but he has to serve Knox. He made the deal with Knox when he was young and discovered supernatural beings, seeking to have a more exciting and immortal life. Barrington met his wife Vira, a demon, while working for Knox, and they had seven children: Gravington (Grave), Covington (Covin), Rowington (Rowin), Remington (Remi), Sevington (Sevin), Wellington (Wells), and Ellington (Ellin). As the children of a once-mortal and a Demon, they are all Wraiths. Genevieve knows little about Wraiths other than they are powerful, violent, and dangerous.

Barrington was largely absent during his children’s adolescence, and when he returned, he sought a way to free himself from Knox. However, Vira became ill with the Crimson Rot, an incurable disease that affects Demons. Knox has a supply of temporary treatment that can provide a year of relief. In exchange for this temporary treatment, and as a punishment for his attempts to leave, Barrington made a deal with Knox to have his and Vira’s children participate in the Hunt, a competition in which they must fight to the death while the residents of Hell watch through the mirrors in the house and make bets. Barrington thought he had agreed to one Hunt only, but the language of the deal with Knox tricked him, and now his children must compete every year.

Rowin returns and affirms everything his father said. Genevieve questions how the Silver siblings are killed during each Hunt and are still alive. Rowin explains that when they die, Knox severs their souls from their bodies before transporting both parts to Hell and reuniting them. Genevieve as a mortal would not survive such a process. All the siblings spend the rest of the year working for Knox, with the exception of the winner of the Hunt, who earns a year of freedom. Genevieve cannot leave Enchantra, meaning she must compete in the hunt or face Knox’s repercussions. Barrington hears a clattering and goes to deal with his other children, instructing Genevieve to wait for him in the sitting room.

Genevieve is joined by Sevin and Ellin in the sitting room. Both the siblings joke about Genevieve being stabbed or killed, which makes Genevieve uncomfortable. Barrington returns and tells Ellin and Sevin to leave. Alone with Barrington and Rowin, Genevieve wonders what the plan is. Barrington explains that the Hunt was created for the Silver family specifically, so the only way to let Genevieve participate is if she competes as Rowin’s wife. Knox put in a caveat that if a Silver sibling gets married, they can compete with their spouse, and if they win, they are free forever. If they lose, the spouse joins the siblings in an eternity of the Hunt. Genevieve, as a mortal, would not survive the soul removal and reunification, so if she loses, she’s dead. If she refuses to participate, Knox will kill her anyway. Genevieve pushes back, unwilling to marry a man she’s only just met. She asks if she can marry a different Silver, but Rowin insists that she belongs to him. He offers Genevieve a ring, and she runs.

Genevieve runs into a bathroom to take a moment to herself. After she splashes water on her face, she looks in the mirror and sees a strange version of herself with purple eyes that speaks to her and introduces itself as Knox the Devil. Knox uses purple strings of power to pull Genevieve through the mirror and instructs her to come find him. On the other side of the mirror is a reflection of the Enchantra estate, and Genevieve follows the purple strings into the maze, she comes face to face with Knox, though he still appears as Genevieve with purple eyes.

Knox questions Genevieve about her presence, and she lies that she’s Rowin’s fiancée. Knox is thrilled to have more excitement in his game, especially as Genevieve is mortal and thus more fragile. He tells her that he looks forward to seeing her again soon and tells her to run. Genevieve fights her way back to the real Enchantra, battling illusory versions of Sevin and Rowin and the other Silver siblings until she manages to get through the bathroom mirror back to reality. When she gets through the mirror, Rowin tries to check on her, but Genevieve runs for the gates, determined to leave Enchantra even if it kills her.

Genevieve runs into the maze, feeling erratic and afraid and unable to keep a grip on her Specter powers. In the maze she encounters Rowin without his signature lip ring. He calls her a scared rabbit and threatens her. However, Rowin then appears with his lip ring, and he addresses the other man as Remi, his identical twin. Rowin and Remi argue, as Remi is bitter that Rowin has won the Hunt for nearly the last two decades and barely visited his siblings trapped in Hell. Genevieve recognizes the complexity of their brotherhood mirrored in her own sisterhood with Ophelia, especially during the years Genevieve felt alone while their mother focused all her attention on training Ophelia. Rowin tells Remi to leave.

Rowin and Genevieve discuss the prospect of their marriage, as Genevieve is hesitant. Rowin reminds her that they need to keep up the charade in front of Knox and the mirrors throughout the house that broadcast the Hunt to the spectators of Hell. He tells Genevieve she must pretend, and Genevieve has a defeatist attitude about the Hunt, convinced she’s doomed to die no matter what. He makes a wager with her that if she can beat him out of the labyrinth, she can play the Hunt her way. If he wins, she has to marry him. They race, and Rowin easily beats Genevieve, as he has tricked her into not using her magic while still using his.

Genevieve runs for the gates and tries to escape, but when she attempts to use her powers to pass through, her hands touch the gates and burn in agonizing pain. Genevieve throws up and tries to touch her old ring for comfort, but it’s gone. Rowin calls her pathetic for trying to escape before she attacks him, pinning him to the ground. He bucks her off and throws her over his shoulder to carry her back to the house. She pounds his back and even bites his butt, but he doesn’t put her down.

Genevieve writes in her diary about the ludicrous nature of her situation. She’s days away from turning 22, and she’s about to marry a stranger and enter a deadly contest. Rowin tells her that her gown is being prepared, which is the only thing that excites Genevieve about the wedding. Rowin then takes her on a tour of the house, as some games of the Hunt may separate them, and Genevieve needs to know the layout. Genevieve begrudgingly goes along with it, but she resists when Rowin pretends to kiss her when he thinks he sees Knox watching them. Instead, it’s Grave, who watches silently from the top of the staircase. Genevieve tells Rowin she’s done with the tour and goes to prepare for the wedding. She walks past an open door and sees a man with a serpent tattoo cutting himself, which she finds strange and upsetting before Ellin interrupts her to show her the finished wedding gown.

Genevieve’s wedding gown is gorgeous, and she finds herself breathtaking, despite the dread of marriage to a stranger and the Hunt that hangs over her. Ellin and Sevin look at her, and Sevin finds her so beautiful that he flirts with her. Ellin gives Genevieve a moment to collect herself before the wedding. Ellin promises that Rowin isn’t cruel, and if Genevieve works with Rowin she could win potentially two prizes from the Hunt: her freedom for winning overall, or a boon from Knox’s treasure trove for being voted Favored by the spectators. Genevieve has to hold up the ruse of her marriage at all times, as spectators are always watching. Grave, Sevin, and Wells interrupt, and Grave is upset that Ellin is helping Rowin with the wedding, as he thinks the fake marriage gives Rowin an unfair advantage that he doesn’t need, as he already has won every year for the past two decades.

The Silver siblings question Genevieve about her mother, and she realizes they must have met her mother in the past given their immortality, so she reveals that Tessie is dead. Barrington enters and is shocked by Tessie’s death, but he doesn’t have time to ask Genevieve about it further, as it’s time for the wedding. Knox is on his way, and Ellin and Barrington go to prepare the mirrors and doors. Sevin helps Genevieve with her gown and the walk to the wedding outside in the snow.

Sevin walks Genevieve down the aisle. The garden is decorated beautifully for the ceremony, which Sevin credits to Barrington’s familiar abilities and Rowin’s good taste. Genevieve finds Rowin incredibly handsome as she approaches him at the altar, though she cannot tell if he finds her beautiful. Rowin and Genevieve exchange vows promising to belong to each other forever, which makes Genevieve panic. Rowin reassures her that nothing lasts forever, even if she would want it to. They kiss to seal their marriage as Genevieve feels the heavy presence of Knox’s arrival. The kiss is strangely passionate, which surprises Genevieve. Rowin walks her back up the aisle and tells her to make sure that her performance is convincing. Genevieve faints and dreams of Farrow calling her a demon and lighting her ablaze.