Lydia Summers

**Lydia Summers** is a freshman at Pendle Hill Academy and Bailey Ward's best friend. Her disappearance prompts her Bailey to investigate the mysterious events unfolding at the academy. She first appears in Book 1.

## Background

Lydia and Bailey were childhood friends in Boston. The two remained close until high school when Lydia began drifting apart from Bailely to spend time with the "popular" students. Her mental health began worsening and was eventually institutionalized at Longwood Care Facility. She rekindles her friendship with Bailey before attending Pendle Hill.

Her mother, Vivian Summers, was emotionally distant from her as she was often away from home and cared more about her career. She was also dismissive of Lydia's struggles with depression. Lydia remarks that she loved Bailey's mother more than her own, and that her death was particularly difficult on her.

## Plot

### Book 1

Prior to their first Faraway ritual and Pendle Hill, Bailey sees a vision of Lydia drowning. After their professors suggest that Lydia is hiding something, she reveals that she was institutionalized due to her depression in high school, and agrees not to attend the ritual. However, Lydia still appears at the ritual while under duress and is taken away with a bright light. Despite Bailey's concerns, Chancellor Swan, Professor Shirazi, and Professor Wilson all dismiss Lydia's disappearance as a runaway due to her mental illness. Later Bailey and Rosie find Lydia's backpack and the enclosed threatening letter: "Lydia, we know your secret. Leave Pendle Hill - or face our wrath".

With the help of their classmates Dylan Blake and Greg Gilmore, Bailey is able to dream walk in Lydia's dream with Dylan. Lydia shows them a map that leads Bailey and Rosie into the forest and discover that Dylan was sending Lydia the menacing letters. He reveals that this was to protect her on behalf of his brother, Cole Blake, who had asked him to before he was arrested by the Coven for illegal spell creation. They discover that Lydia has the same radio in a picture of Cole, but find that the radio has already been stolen from her room. Bailey tracks the radio to Shumi, who claims that Lydia was speaking with a child at night to learn advanced spells over the radio. Later, Shumi also tells Bailey that Lydia was helping her with her Blackswift addiction for several months prior to her disappearance.

At the Ipswich town square, Officer Naomi Wood tells Bailey that a witness saw Lydia jump into the harbor. She discreetly leads her to the Ipswich Witch Museum's owner Betsy Sage, who was the witness. Bailey realizes that Lydia is related to a 17th century judge in Ipswich called Justice Sommer, who was known for his cruelty and executed numerous people for witchcraft. Later at the museum, Bailey sees a new exhibit on the Dark Hunt and realizes that as Sommer's descendant, Lydia was kidnapped for the other witches to hunt as the "rabbit" in this dark magic ritual. Bailey, Dylan, Gilmore, and Rosie deduce that she was taken by Jason Ashford, a former student at Pendle Hill that was obsessed with foxes that became the The White Fox, or the leader of the Dark Hunt. After the hunt begins at Raven's Perch, Bailey encounters Lydia who has been concealed as a rabbit. Lydia knocks her unconscious before leaving with Jason, and Bailey arrives at Choker's Lake just in time to see Jason push Lydia into the lake.

### Book 2

After rescuing Lydia from Choker's Lake, Bailey brings her back to the academy with Nurse Beaubien, who reveals that Lydia's third eye was blocked and may never recover from her coma. However, Chancellor Swan declares that she has a "reprehensible" solution, which involves using an ancestor's remains. Bailey retrieves Justice Sommer's remains and uses it for the concoction, which successfully revives Lydia. According to Lydia, she ran into the forest where she met Jason Ashford and Travis Ming at their campsite at the Faraway ritual that she was kidnapped at. Much to Bailey's apprehension, Lydia claims that she felt safe with Jason and Travis and was taken to Clear View, a therapy center for witches. She was treated by Dr. Lemke where she stayed until the Dark Hunt began and denies any memory of this period.

Upon awakening from her coma, Lydia behaves more absentmindedly and aggressive. During a pumpkin carving contest, Lydia smashes Bailey's pumpkin over Dylan's head after asking her about his brother's whereabouts. Lydia privately confesses to Bailey that she actually cannot remember much from her past since her coma, including her time with Bailey. Bailey's suspicions grow after discovering that Lydia broke into Lemke's apartment while conducting a wellness check with Naomi. Lydia tells Bailey that her memory loss disturbs her and wanted to confront Lemke after she found Lydia's memory vials in the white room at Clear View. However, she is increasingly aggravated when Bailey continues investigating Lemke, and even breaks the paintbrush gifted to Bailey by Dylan. She begins ignoring Bailey while preparing for her "Hellish Homecoming" Halloween party with Rosie.

Later, Lydia tells Bailey that she was witness who reported Bailey leaving from Dr. Lemke's apartment, which resulted in her being arrested for arson and the first-degree murder of Lemke. Lydia slaps Bailey and says that they are not friends.

After Bailey defeats "Goddess Annie", a corrupted form of Annie McGregor, she finds Lydia's reverted into a child and trapped in a house with Jason, Travis, and Annie McGregor, who had been caring for them. Lydia and Bailey defeat Justice Sommer and finally frees them from their possession. Lydia, Jason, and Travis reassure Bailey that they have truly returned, and prove this by showing their reflections in the hall of mirrors at Moon Park.

### Book 3

After Bailey learns that her mother, Amelia Ward, was ritually murdered instead of having drowned, Lydia decides to leave Pendle Hill for a month to stay in Boston to process this news. She first gives a framed photo of herself to Bailey as a joke to make her believe that she is still possessed. Inside the frame are three tickets to the Toe-Sucking Goblins concert in Ipswich, Lydia's favorite band. Prior to the concert, Lydia and Bailey head to a workshop called "3 Steps to Become a Better Witch" conducted by Nurse Beaubien in the greenhouse.

### Book 4

In the epilogue, Lydia is dating her classmate Cole Blake, who was released from the Cube and Clear View. She aspires to become a counselor at Clear View after taking a year off from graduation.

## Relationships

### Rosie Perez

Lydia is also friends with Rosie, whom she fought with at the museum prior to her disappearance. However, their relationship becomes cordial once again, although it sometimes tense when they compete over being Bailey's friend.

### Shumi Lane

She also tried to help Shumi Lane with her Blackswift addiction prior to Book 1.

### Jason Ashford

Jason and Lydia bonded over the Dark Hunt as their spirits were trapped in the Faraway. Lydia appeared to be romantically interested in Jason at the time, but this was due to being controlled by Justice Sommer in Book 2.

### Chip Taylor

Chip is attracted to Lydia, who does not return his feelings.

### Cole Blake

In Book 4, Cole and Lydia have been dating each other.

## Personality

Lydia is seen as a bubbly and sweet personality that is popular among the students. She deeply cares about Bailey and considers her her best frieind.

During her possession of Justice Sommer following the events of the Dark Hunt, Lydia retains a amicable and charming veneer until Bailey refuses to stop investigating Dr. Lemke's memory experiments. After Bailey frees Lydia, Jason, and Travis from their possession, it is confirmed that Justice Sommer was responsible for "Lydia's" cruel behavior. With Justice Sommer's influence removed, Lydia returns to her kind and friendly personality with Bailey.

## Physical Appearance

Lydia has light blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. She wears a white blouse, blue jeans, and has a pink handbag.

Lydia always wore the friendship bracelet gifted to her Bailey during a kayaking trip. Bailey later gives the bracelet to Naomi to protect her from the astral crows.

## Trivia

* Her favorite band is the Toe-Sucking Goblins.
* She loves sugary foods.
* Her favorite spell is "conjure flame".
* Her hobby is shopping.
* Lydia's sun sign is Gemini.