Holly Vanissen

**Holly Vanissen** is the mother of Aster. She always thought that her son should become a Shifter just like all the other boys in the family, but would later change her mind.

## Appearnce

Holly is a woman with long red hair, black eyes, and some freckles on her face.

Holly is often seen wearing blue and an apron.

## Personality

Holly is a kind and caring woman who loves her family and will encourage them when they need it. In the first book, she is shown to be stern when she tried to stir Aster away from learning witchery and learn shapeshifting with the other boys. But she would later change her mind when her mother told her family the truth about Holly's uncle, Makasi.

## Story

### *The Witch Boy*

At the beginning of the book, Aster runs to Holly after he is caught Vervain trying to listen in on a witchery lesson. Holly then told Aster about how Makasi left the family after using witchery. Then, Sedge invited Aster to play Capture The Flag with him and their cousins which Holly encouraged. Later, Holly lovingly greets her husband, Tohor, (much to Aster's disgust) when he returns home. Tohor tells Holly that he came home to help their son find an animal form, much to Aster's dismay when he overheard them. After Sedge disappears, Holly and the other adults go looking for him. The next day, Holly is seen running through the house in a bowl that Aster was using to scry with his new friend, Charlie. She was looking for Aster. When Aster returned home, she embraced him worried because Tupelo and Aquila had also vanished. The next day, Holly saves Aster when a mutated Sedge attacked him. She and Aster then lock and bind Sedge in a shed. When Aster asked about the binding spell, she sternly tells him to go to back to the house. Sometime later, Holly and the other women in the family were preparing a trap for whatever had taken Sedge, Tupelo, and Aquila. She is also present when a partially cured Sedge tried to tell his family what happened to him. That night, Holly is sleeping in the parlor where the trap is set. Later, Aster runs in while being chased by the kidnapper, who is Holly uncle Makasi, and Aster activates the trap. While her mother was telling the story behind Makasi's transformation, Holly tries to tell her that there is a reason why only girls can learn witchery, but Grandmother reveals the truth that she is also a shifter. With this knowledge, Holly and the rest of the family embraces Aster as a witch.

## Relationships

### Aster Vanissen

Aster is Holly's son. When he admitted to her that he wanted to learn witchery, she tried to dissuade him from it by telling him the story of her uncle, Makasi. But after hearing the truth from her mother, she started to change her mind and decided to let Aster learn witchery.

### Tohor Vanissen

Tohor is Holly's husband. They have a very loving relationship as shown when Tohor returned home and his wife greeted him with affection. This was shown again after he fought Makasi and Holly came to his side.

### Ariel Torres

Ariel considers Holly somewhat of a mother-figure after she came to learn witchery with Holly's family. She encourages Ariel. Holly and the rest of her family would later adopt Ariel.

## Powers and Abilities

* **Witchery:** Holly is a witch with many powers and spells at her disposal.
	+ **Pyrokinesis:** Holly is able to create and control fire.
	+ **Telekinesis/Psychokinesis:** Holly is able to move objects and people with her mind using a spell as shown when she stopped the mutated Sedge from attacking Aster.
	+ **Potion Making:** Holly is adept at making potions when she, Juniper, and her sisters made a potion to bind the monster taking her nephews (later revealed to be Makasi).

## Trivia

* It is hinted that Holly's favorite color is blue.
* As shown when she stopped Sedge from attacking Aster, it could be possible that Holly is the most powerful witch in the series aside from her mother.
* Like many of the other members of her family, Holly is named after a plant, flower, or herb.
	+ A holly is a kind of plant with spikey green leaves and red berries that are toxic. They are mostly used as decorations for winter holidays, including Christmas.
	+ The symbolism of the holly is peace and goodwill. This fits as Holly wishes for there to be peace within her family.