Belladonna Ending Explained: The Climax, Character Fates, and What the Epilogue Means

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

How Belladonna Ends: A Direct Account

The novel concludes with a triple revelation: the identity of Lillian Hawthorne’s killer, the true nature of Death, and Signa Farrow’s own transformation. After months of slow poisoning, Percy Hawthorne confesses that he meant to kill the governess Marjorie Hargreaves but accidentally poisoned his mother Lillian when she drank tea meant for Marjorie. Lillian’s spirit, possessing Signa, forces the truth from Percy in the burning garden. Simultaneously, Death reveals that he has been living among the Hawthornes as the groom Sylas—a disguise he used to protect Signa and guide her investigation. Signa, having fully accepted her powers as a reaper, chooses to take Percy’s remaining life force and transfer it to her dying cousin Blythe. Percy is consumed by the hellhound Gundry. Blythe recovers fully, and the household finds tentative peace.

In the epilogue, set months later at a celebratory ball, Duke Julius Wakefield is poisoned by champagne. Death appears to claim Julius’s spirit, and a golden-eyed figure named Fate arrives, revealing another murder for Signa to solve.

The Climax: Percy’s Confession and the Burning Garden (Chapters 42–44)

The climax unfolds in Lillian’s hidden garden, which Percy sets on fire. Signa, having used belladonna to enter the veil, confronts him. Lillian’s spirit possesses Signa, and through this forced communion, Percy admits everything:

• He is Lillian’s son, but his biological mother was a governess.
• He poisoned Marjorie’s tea with belladonna, hoping to kill her and protect his reputation as a legitimate heir.
• Lillian drank the tea instead, and Percy fed her more poison over weeks to hasten her death after she became ill.
• He then poisoned himself and attempted to frame Signa, wanting to force his father Elijah to keep the family business Grey’s and to destroy the relationship between Signa and Elijah.

Percy attacks Signa with a knife, but Sylas intercepts. In that moment, Sylas transforms into Death. The shadows reshape him, and the hellhound Gundry grows into a monstrous three-headed beast. Death offers Signa a choice: let Percy face mortal justice (which would mean hanging) or claim his life force herself and give it to Blythe. Signa chooses the latter, embracing her role as a reaper. She commands the dead garden to ensnare Percy, then allows Gundry to devour him.

Major Character Fates

Resolved and Unresolved Plot Threads

Resolved:

• Who killed Lillian? Percy, accidentally, while targeting Marjorie.
• Why was Blythe sick? She was being slowly poisoned by Percy using belladonna.
• What are Signa’s powers? She is a reaper—able to touch the veil, command shadows, walk through walls, and claim life force. Her powers are inherent, not given by Death.
• Why did Death spare Signa as a baby? Her future intrigued him; it was not her time.
• The garden mystery: Lillian’s spirit guided Signa to find the truth.

Unresolved:

• Signa and Death’s relationship: They agree to find stolen time, but Death warns it will be harder now that the crisis is over. No permanent solution is given.
• Percy’s biological mother: The identity of the governess is never named. Marjorie may be the one who told Percy the truth, but this is not fully clarified.
• The murder of Duke Julius: A new unknown poisoner killed him at the epilogue’s ball. Fate states Signa must solve this murder.
• Fate’s role: Fate is introduced as a rival cosmic figure to Death. His motives and relationship to Signa are left open.

Thematic Resolution

The story resolves the tension between life and death by showing Signa’s integration of both. She no longer tries to escape death but uses her connection to it to save lives. The theme of identity culminates in her embracing “I am free.” Family and betrayal are explored through Percy’s destruction of his own family out of fear of shame, while Signa finds a chosen family in the Hawthornes. Love versus duty plays out in Death’s choice to act as Sylas and later to step back so Signa can live fully. Poison and deception are literal tools and metaphors for the hidden truths that corrupt Thorn Grove.

The Epilogue: A New Murder and the Arrival of Fate (Chapter 48)

Months later, Thorn Grove hosts a ball celebrating the partnership between the Hawthornes and the Wakefields. Signa communicates telepathically with Death, who is present invisibly. During a toast, Duke Julius Wakefield drinks poisoned champagne and dies instantly. Death arrives to claim his spirit. Julius’s ghost, before moving on, acknowledges Signa’s queer eyes. Time freezes, and a new being appears: a young man with bronze skin and eyes of melted gold. He introduces himself as Fate. He notes the poison is not belladonna but something bitter (cyanide, as Signa recognizes the almond scent). Fate tells Signa she has “another murder to solve,” implying that the murder of Julius was deliberate and that Signa’s involvement is fated.

This epilogue sets up the sequel by introducing a second supernatural entity—Fate—and a new mystery that connects the Wakefields to the Hawthornes.

Interpretations and Ambiguities

• Why did Death kill the dinner party guests in the prologue? Death explains that he merely carries out what is inevitable; he does not choose. However, his fascination with Signa suggests he has agency when he wants. The prologue’s mass death may be a demonstration of his power and his first awareness of Signa.
• Is Fate an antagonist? The text does not label Fate as evil. He appears curious about Signa and seems to be testing her. His golden eyes and ancient voice mirror Death’s description, so he may be a counterpart rather than a villain.
• Can Signa die? She is not immortal in the sense of being indestructible. She can be wounded and recover, but Death says she has a natural lifespan. Her role as a reaper may extend it, but this is unclear.
• What happened to Percy’s spirit? Unlike Lillian, Percy does not have a peaceful departure. Gundry devours him, which may imply his soul is destroyed or trapped. The novel leaves this deliberately ambiguous.
• Why did Death take the form of Sylas? To stay close to Signa and to guide her without revealing himself. He admits he was selfish and wanted to be near her. This raises questions about how often he manipulates events in human form.

Reader Questions Answered

1. Why does Signa let Percy die instead of sending him to trial?

Signa chooses to claim Percy’s life force to save Blythe, who was dying from his poison. She also believes that Percy feels no remorse and would likely be hanged anyway. By taking his life herself, she gives it meaning—Blythe survives. This act also solidifies Signa’s acceptance of her reaper nature.

2. How did Signa and Death communicate after the garden?

After the climax, Signa can see Death without belladonna when death is nearby. In the epilogue, they speak telepathically. Death warns that visits will be rarer because the veil between worlds is no longer lifted by crisis. Signa insists they will find stolen moments.

3. What is the significance of the belladonna berries?

Belladonna is the plant that allows Signa to cross into Death’s realm. It represents her liminal state between life and death. By the end, she no longer needs it to access her powers; she can enter the veil through will alone when death is present. The berries become a symbol of her old dependence that she must move beyond.

4. Who is Fate, and why does he appear at the end?

Fate is a personified cosmic entity, the counterpart to Death. He appears to claim Julius’s death as his domain and to challenge Signa to solve the murder. His arrival suggests that the universe has a predetermined plan, and Signa’s role in it is central. He may be testing whether she can balance her reaper duties with free will.

5. Is there a second book in the series?

Yes, Belladonna is the first book in a series. The sequel is Foxglove, which continues Signa’s story as she investigates Julius’s murder and navigates her relationship with Death and Fate.

6. What is the meaning of the title “Belladonna”?

Belladonna, meaning “beautiful lady” in Italian, is a poisonous plant whose berries are used by Signa to summon Death. It symbolizes the duality of beauty and danger, life and death, and Signa’s own nature as both a young woman and a reaper. The title reflects the central role of poison and the deceptive appearances that drive the plot.

For more on the characters and themes, see our detailed guides to Signa Farrow, Death, Blythe Hawthorne, Percy Hawthorne, and the themes of death and life balance and identity and self-acceptance.