He must have just recently bathed because his hair was wet.
“Take the basket Samantha is carrying and accompany her. She knows where to go and what to do.”
Lady St. Alban then turned away and walked off in another direction giving Cassian no chance to object.
He came forward and took the basket from her then frowned. “I hope you have not been carrying this long. It is rather heavy.”
“Not long,” Samantha murmured suddenly uncomfortable in his presence. He had the opportunity to kiss her this morning and hadn’t but her worse fear was that he had known how badly she wanted him to do so and rejected her.
Hopefully she could put that awkward memory away for good so that it did not ruin her day, evening…the rest of her stay at Nightshade Manor.
Chapter 20
Cassian had hoped to avoid Samantha because he knew that it was for the best, no matter how much he craved her presence. He may have even attempted an excuse of why he could not assist but Eugenia had not given him the opportunity, so now he followed the woman he was coming to love but would never have into the Witches’ Garden until they stopped in the very center before the low stone altar.
He placed the basket beside her and Samantha settled on the ground picking and choosing which crystals she planned on using.
The silence was uncomfortable, especially when they’d been able to have many discussions without awkwardness in the past but today was different. He had almost kissed her this morning and he suspected that she was aware, and they both knew that he hadn’t. Either she was disappointed, or she was glad that he hadn’t because she would have found it necessary to reject him.
Either way, it had changed what was between them.
Samantha blew out a sigh as she weighed different crystals in her hand, her lips pursed and eyes narrowed.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
“I am trying to balance which crystals should be left here and which ones are needed for the temple.”
“Maybe if you tell me what each one is for, I can be of assistance.”
She frowned and looked up at him. “You do not know?” she said it in a manner that he had failed a test.
“No, I do not.”
“You were raised by a witch.”
“Yet, I am not one. I just know they use crystals and candles for magic and since I have none, they never pertained to me.”
Samantha shook her head and looked away, but he was certain that she had rolled her eyes.
“What?” he demanded.
“You do not have to be magical to benefit from crystals and the energy they provide.”
“Very well, teach me.”
She retrieved a grey crystal. In some places it was darker, almost black, while in other areas it was almost white, as if it had been in a fire and came away with some damage from flames.
“This is a Smoky Quartz,” she announced.
The name was certainly accurate because it did resemble smoke, from a fire.
“This is used when a person wants to let go of anything holding them back or what is no longer needed, which opens them for forming new connections, a new beginning.”
“Then shouldn’t Antonia and Chedworth both have one?”
“Yes, which is why I am glad there are two.” Antonia placed one crystal in the center of the stone altar and the other beside her then drew out a bright, deep blue stone with silver and maybe some gold.
It really was quite brilliant and the blue reminded him of the sky just after sunset when some light still appeared but the darkness was quickly invading. “What is that?”
