Chapter 136. Winning Over the Family

Coit

I haven’t been back to Nightfall since Lydia’s abduction. I try to keep in touch with the Nightstone family, as we’re all in this crisis together, but the guilt has made it difficult. It’s easy to blame myself for what happened to Lydia, and I can imagine her family blames me too. I’m more than surprised when they’re not hostile toward me when I arrive at their ancestral home.

Lydia’s mother, Amanda, pulls me into a hug. “How have you been?”

“Hanging in there,” I reply. “How are you holding up?” I give her a sympathetic smile. It's not difficult. I can feel the tears s tinging the backs of my eyes already. I don't want to cry in front of Lydia's family if I can help it. Luckily, I've already shed so many tears recently that I'm basically all out of them at the moment.

She pulls away, unable to hide her worry but trying to stay strong. “We’re hoping that we can get Lydia back soon.”

“Me too.”

There’s a somberness and anxiety i