Garlic Flowers
Garlic repeatedly restores Lucy's safety, but her uninformed mother removes it and dies tearing away the final wreath.
Story so far
Van Helsing renews garlic across Hillingham's doors, windows, fireplace, and Lucy Westenra's throat. Each intact night brings Lucy strength and dreamless rest; each removal brings renewed collapse.
Mrs. Westenra, shielded from the truth because of her heart, twice clears the flowers to freshen the room. When Bersicker bursts through the window, her dying hand tears the last wreath from Lucy's neck, leaving the protection scattered as the room fills with uncanny dust.
Appearance
Strong-smelling white garlic blossoms crushed along openings and woven as a throat wreath, later torn loose and scattered across the bedroom.
Role
The garlic is an effective but fragile defense whose failure comes from secrecy and human misunderstanding rather than supernatural weakness.
Relationships
Sources — 2 recorded facts, by chapter
- Van Helsing turns fresh garlic into a fragrant barrier around Lucy's throat, windows, and door against an unnamed night visitor.
- Garlic repeatedly restores Lucy's safety, but her uninformed mother removes it and dies tearing away the final wreath.