Let the Dance Begin Read Online Free Page B

friends, can I suggest that when we get into Sandringham we don’t keep harping on about the past.
We won’t talk about our past or where we come from or about our homes. Let’s concentrate on each other and the future.’
    Lexie nodded in agreement. ‘No looking back!’
    They both turned to Cassie. She thought about her Aunt Euphorbia and her life at Mite Cove and agreed, ‘No looking back!’ After all, she was only hoping to find out something new
about her mother.
    The door opened again and the voice boomed, NEXT!’
    ‘Wish me luck!’ Lexie stood up, and turned and waved before walking into the room.
    ‘She’s got grace and good muscle tone. Lexie will be offered a place,’ Shell said confidently.
    ‘You seem to know a lot about dancing for someone who claims they’re only at the auditions because they want to escape the palace,’ Cassie noted.
    At the palace I get a lot of time to study people. Besides, I can’t help it if I’m naturally clever!’ Shell’s blue eyes twinkled with fun.
    ‘Is the Supreme Sand Sprite Sandrine as scary as sprites say?’ Cassie asked.
    Shell laughed. ‘She is impossible in the morning before her first cup of sage tea.’
    ‘My Aunt Euphorbia’s just the same. She can be grumpy for hours if it isn’t brewed properly,’ Cassie replied.
    What is it about sage tea?’ Shell grinned. ‘Even the smell of it makes me gag. Sandrine will not make any important decision without drinking a cup.’
    ‘I suppose she does have a lot of hard decisions to make, like stopping sprites from dancing in public – and making them work at repairing the dunes. There has been so much work to be done
repairing Silica City. Ruling over the sand sprites these last seven years can’t have been easy’ Cassie said, putting the box containing her dancing shoes on the bench. She began to
stretch in the way that she had seen the others do before they went in for their audition.
    ‘Being responsible for thousands of lives is incredibly tough. Sandrine has had to make some tough choices.’ Shell looked serious for a moment, then stood up and began to stretch her
legs too. ‘I didn’t expect to feel this nervous. I can’t stop thinking that if I don’t get in I’ll be stuck at the palace for ever. There’s so much I want to do
and see. Things are changing. Once the dance school is open again then I’m certain other things will follow’
    ‘What have you heard?’ said Cassie, finishing her warm-up exercises.
    Shell looked at her. ‘Nothing specific. I’m only a lowly servant. Nobody tells me anything.’
    ‘What’s Anagallis like? Do you ever get to see Sandrine’s daughter?’
    Shell laughed. ‘All the time.’
    ‘Is she as bad as people say?’
    Shell groaned. ‘Much, much worse.’
    Cassie laughed. ‘I’m glad. It is delicious to hear about someone who doesn’t behave. People are always coming to my aunt with tales about me. “That girl threw a pebble at
my window and pulled a face” or, “I heard Cassie burp twice and she didn’t cover her mouth”. Sometimes it feels like I can’t do anything right!’
    Shell took a deep breath. ‘Both of us just have to get in, and I mean that in a totally non-gushing way’
    Cassie nodded. ‘Our futures depend upon it.’
    ‘This has come loose,’ said Shell, pulling a strand of Cassie’s hair. ‘Let me do it. You want to look your best.’
    They both sat down again and nobody spoke for a while. Cassie chewed the end of her fingernail and asked, ‘What do you think they will be looking for in the audition?’
    ‘Apart from the seven steps, you mean?’ Shell asked.
    ‘Sort of,’ Cassie said.
    ‘Earlier I saw them bringing in the shell head-dress,’ Shell replied. ‘So I guess we’ll have to wear it and try to be inspired by the sounds we hear. They will be looking
at how deeply you feel and how well you communicate those feelings.’
    Cassie bit her lip. ‘I hope I don’t show myself up! I took a bit of a risk