Let the Dance Begin (14 page)

Cassie let out an involuntary gasp.

‘Cassandra. I have brought you here to tell you that the sand farer has reported a possible sighting of Marina. He is certain that he glimpsed Marina through his telescope. She was dancing
in a dune many continents from here. She seemed well and in good spirits. The sighting was a few months ago but it appears to be a good lead. The sand farer knew your mother and father well. He
could not reach the dune safely as it was a particularly inaccessible one, so decided to make his way back here as swiftly as he could. I do not want to say too much at this point, but I am sending
a large sand galleon to investigate at first light. There is no time to be lost.’

Shell hugged Cassie. ‘Isn’t it wonderful news! It seems like your mother is alive.’

Euphorbia collapsed into a nearby chair. ‘I had almost given up . . .’

Cassie could hardly concentrate as Sandrine talked to her about Marina, explaining what had happened on the night of the Great Sandstorm. Sandrine also explained how dedicated Marina was, and
how painful it had been for her to leave her daughter behind. Finally she said, ‘If Marina is alive and yet has not come back to us, then there will be a good reason for this – we need to go
to her and find out what this reason is.’

When Sandrine had finished speaking, Rubus stepped forward, his face suddenly serious. ‘Sandrine, I would like to ask your permission to go on the journey’

Sandrine looked at him. ‘You are very young.’

‘I am a good navigator. I have been racing my own small sand surfers for years. It would give me some direction, a chance to prove myself. I would like to become a sand farer.’

‘It will be a long and dangerous journey’ Sandrine’s expression was stern.

‘I can pull my weight,’ Rubus replied. ‘If the wind is in the right direction, I can pull ten times my weight.’

‘Very well, Rubus,’ said Sandrine after a long pause. ‘You have my permission to join the expedition.’

‘Then I want to go along as well.’ Cassie pushed herself forward.

‘I forbid it,’ Euphorbia said quickly.

‘It is a brave offer.’ Sandrine smiled. ‘But your task is to remain at Sandringham. Anagallis will also be staying, even though I had agreed that she could stay only for a
term. It seems that she really does have some aptitude for dancing. You all need to perfect your dancing, for I have a feeling that we are going to need our sand dancers more than ever.’

Chapter Nineteen

‘Draw a line in the sand
and then go out and have fun.’
The Sands of Time

Later that night in
the main corridor of Sandringham, Lexie said, ‘Are you sure we should be doing this?’

‘Shh!’ Shell pressed a finger to her lips as they all tip- toed past the main staircase and crept into the kitchen.

Cassie cut off some slices of laver bread and slipped them in her pocket.

Lexie looked worried. ‘We’re not allowed out at night.’

‘That’s the whole point,’ Shell hissed, ‘of having a secret moonlight picnic’

‘Besides, we’ve arranged to meet Rubus. Don’t forget it is his last night before he leaves, and I challenged him to a sand boarding race,’ Cassie added as she popped a
crumb into her mouth.

‘Come on.’ Shell waved them out of the door, and when they were clear of the dance school they scooted down the side of the sand dune towards the beach. The more speed they picked up
the more they flung out their arms and screamed.

‘Wheee! This is fun!’ Lexie yelled.

‘I’m so glad that Sandrine is letting you stay at the school, Anagallis,’ said Cassie as they unpacked their picnic.

‘Shell! Please call me Shell! At Sandringham I am just another sand dancer,’ she said.

Cassie smiled. ‘All right,’ she replied. ‘This is such a beautiful place.’ She sighed as she leaned back on the edge of the dune and looked up at the night sky.

‘So beautiful and so fragile, it’s hard to believe it could all disappear,’ Shell whispered.

‘Sand is always shifting and life is changing. That’s a Rule, isn’t it?’ Lexie asked.

‘But what if we couldn’t look after the dunes any more?’ Shell lay back in the sand. ‘Sometimes there is talk at the palace about more sandstorms that could be even
stronger than the Great Sandstorm, or of giant waves that could appear out of nowhere and wash all the dunes away’

Cassie looked at her friend. She had never seen her look so serious before. Cassie squeezed her arm. ‘We are dancing again. Next term we will start to learn the steps of some of the secret
dune dances.’

‘That will be so exciting!’ Lexie gushed. ‘I can hardly believe that we’re going to be a part of it all!’

‘I’m going for a moonlight stroll. The moon makes everything look different.’ Shell stood up.

‘I’ll join you.’ Lexie followed.

‘Only if you stop gushing!’ Shell joked.

‘Oh yes, Your Majesty’ Lexie giggled, mock curtseying.

‘Supreme Sand Sprite in-waiting to you,’ Shell laughed.

‘I’ll wait here for Rubus.’ Cassie lay back on the sand.

So much had happened to her in the past weeks. She had left Mite Cove and learned to love dancing. She had discovered that her mother had left her because by doing so she was doing her best for
the dunes. And she had discovered that her mother might be alive. She was so excited she felt as if she was going to explode into trillions of grains of pure happiness.

A lump of damp sand landed in her lap.

‘Rubus!’

‘Hope you’ve saved me some of the picnic.’ He sat down beside her.

She flicked the sand off. ‘You are late.’

‘I had a few things to organise,’ he explained.

Are you sure you want to go on this journey? It might be dangerous.’

Rubus’s eyes flashed. ‘I hope so!’

‘Please be careful.’ Cassie suddenly felt afraid for her friend.

‘Course I will. I have to come back and torment you, don’t I?’

‘It will be a relief not to be embarrassed in public in the meanwhile.’ Cassie tried to smile but she suddenly found herself close to tears and, without thinking, reached out and
hugged Rubus.

He hugged her back. ‘I will be careful, Cassie. I won’t take any unnecessary risks.’

‘Send me a message as soon as you find my mother,’ Cassie said. ‘And when you do find her, tell her I haven’t forgotten her. Tell her I’m dancing and that I am
trying to become one of the finest sand dancers.’

She quickly wiped away a tear.

Rubus bowed and kissed her hand. ‘I will, Cassie.’ He looked up to see Shell and Lexie who had just returned. ‘And now, for one last time, let’s race!’

Rubus waved at Lexie. ‘I’ve brought my sand board and Cassie can lend you hers, so prepare to be beaten! I haven’t forgotten about that promise you made to tan my
hide!’

‘I’ll try anything once,’ Shell said and tucked her flowing skirts into her knickers.

The others giggled as they set off and they took turns at racing Rubus down the edge of the dune.

Cassie laughed as she launched herself down the dune for what seemed like the hundredth time. At first they raced along the beach neck and neck. Sometimes Rubus pulled into the lead and
sometimes Cassie did.

‘I’m going to beat you this time,’ Cassie yelled to Rubus as her friends cheered her on.

‘Consider yourself beaten,’ she declared triumphantly as she crossed the seaweed finish line. ‘We have tanned your hide.’ Cassie looked round at her friends. ‘We
are all going to be fine,’ she told them. And, gripping each other’s arms and smiling widely, they all sang:

Loyal and true

I will always believe the best of you

I’ll share my time

I’ll stick like glue

Never a flicker of doubt for you

I’ll watch your back

I’ll sift your sand

If you fall I’ll take your hand

No question

No need for answers

With your friendship I’ll take a chance

Do what’s fun

Do what’s right

Because

You’re a true friend of this sand sprite.’