Stardust Read Free Page B

already felt that they were firm friends.
    â€˜See you both tonight,’ Robyn said as she got into the car.
    â€˜Yeah,’ Allegra replied. ‘Then you can meet Ella and Faye.’
    â€˜And the otters and badgers,’ Lucy said. She’d discovered that they were two of Robyn’s favourite animals.
    Joanna smiled at Lucy. ‘And Xanthe’s asked me if I’ll show you how to travel inanimals’ minds. We can start that tonight if you’d like.’
    â€˜Oh yes, please!’ Lucy breathed. In the daytime, with Xanthe at her side, the thought of dark spirits being after her seemed much less frightening. She felt her worries fade as she thought about learning to travel in an animal’s mind. She couldn’t wait!

CHAPTER
Four
    As soon as Lucy’s parents had gone to bed that night, Lucy and Allegra flew to the secret glade in the woods where the stardust spirits always gathered.
    Xanthe was already there. She was standing near the huge oak tree in the centre of the clearing with Joanna and Robyn. Being summer spirits they were both wearing golden dresses like Lucy’s. Robyn’s hair was tied back with a gold hair bobble. Stardust spirits wore differentcoloured clothes according to which type of spirit they were – autumn spirits wore silver, winter spirits wore blue and spring spirits wore green.
    â€˜Hello, you two,’ Xanthe said as Lucy and Allegra swooped down. ‘Will you show Robyn around and introduce her to people?’ She gave Robyn a sympathetic look. ‘It must be hard always moving to new places and having to make new friends the whole time.’
    â€˜Oh, Robyn doesn’t find that hard at all,’ Joanna said breezily. ‘She makes friends very easily. Wherever we go she’s always popular.’
    Lucy noticed Xanthe look at her. Xanthe frowned and opened her mouth as if about to say something, but then seemed to change her mind.
    â€˜Why don’t you introduce me to the others,’ Joanna said. Xanthe nodded and the two older spirits flew off.
    â€˜Faye and Ella will be here soon,’ Allegra told Robyn. ‘I bet you’ll really like them.’
    â€˜I hope so. Why don’t we do some magic while we wait?’ Robyn looked at Lucy. ‘Mum says you’re really powerful.’
    â€˜She is,’ Allegra said. ‘Go on, Lucy, do some magic.’
    Lucy felt a bit embarrassed. ‘What shall I do?’
    â€˜Um…’ Allegra thought for a moment. ‘I know. Why don’t you stop a leaf falling? That’s cool!’
    â€˜But there aren’t any leaves in the air,’ Lucy pointed out.
    â€˜Says who?’ Allegra pointed her handat a nearby horse chestnut tree. ‘Wind be with me!’ A breeze swept through the branches. Three leaves broke free and twirled downwards.
    Lucy quickly focused on one. She let the rest of the world fade away as she stared at the spinning green spring leaf. Magic began to tingle across her skin.
    Stop!
Lucy thought to the leaf. It hovered in mid-air.
    â€˜Hey!’ Lucy heard Robyn breathe beside her. ‘I’ve never seen anyone do that.’
    Lucy let the leaf go and it twirled to the ground. However, just before it reached the grass, Robyn raised her hand. ‘Shield be with me.’ The leaf was instantly surrounded by a protective shield. It shimmered around the leaf like a perfectly round, almost see-through

    ball. The leaf reached the ground and bounced gently.
    â€˜Be gone!’ Robyn commanded. The shield vanished. At the same instant, Robyn snapped out, ‘Fire be with me!’ The leaf burst into flames.
    Lucy blinked. She was impressed. Although she could start fires easily herself she knew that most summer spirits their age found it very hard, if not impossible.
    Robyn clicked her fingers and to Lucy’s amazement the fire formed into a perfect column about half a metre high. She clicked her fingers again and the