Claimed by the Dragon King by Caroline Hale

not sure our pumpkin bread would taste the same with some of that mixed in the batter. Although, I bet it would look much happier...”
    She could always spin everything to make it positive. She was the only one who was able to make me see that the world isn’t an awful place where people abandon you when you’re not worth anything. She made me believe… and now she’s gone.
    I rub both hands against the wall, coating them with pink sparkles. I’ve already decided to give the house to the coven but that doesn’t mean I can’t take a little bit of it with me. I brush my hands through my dark wavy hair and check my reflection again. The sparkles catch the light and make my whole face look brighter. Happy. Good.
    Cera’s head pops through the doorway. “Hey, sorry. We are definitely going to be late now.” She crosses her arms across her chest. “I thought that color would look nice on you,” she says walking towards me. Although her face doesn’t show it, I can tell she’s pleased with herself. She reaches down and straightens the hem and smoothes a wrinkle in the side of my dress. “Although you could have worn it at the length that it was originally.” 
    “Hey, I happen to think my legs are my best asset!” I chuckle and swat her away. I walk over to the box and pull out my matching beaded clutch. A girl can’t go anywhere without a backup of lip gloss. “I’ve got one more thing to do before we leave.”
    “Better make it quick okay? There’s a big difference between fashionably late and really late,” she says heading back downstairs.
    I walk to the end of the hallway and stop. My heart is beating furiously. If only I could push this door open and see her again, my mother of my heart. I know she’s not in here. Instead I push my ear against the door and listen. A soft tinkling music calls out to me. I hum the tune along with the music and wait for the song to end. I gently push the handle down and peer inside. A soft orange glow lights up one corner but with the curtains pulled it’s dark enough for nap time.
    A row of colored mats line the wall, each one bearing a tiny sleeping body. Sprites flutter quietly through the room, pulling blankets over the kids and tucking them in sweetly. One of the kids smiles up at me and blinks lazily. His tiny antlers brush against the floor as he lays his head back down on his mat. Georgia’s old bedroom was the obvious choice for the nursery. The old woman poured a lot of her spirit into this room and as such it’s the most comforting room in the house. She would be tickled to know how it was being used now. She always loved the little ones. A small cough catches my attention and I look down to see Fee tugging at my pant leg. I reach down and let her climb into my palm. I back out of the room as quietly as I can and shut the door behind me.
    “Are you leaving?” Fee squeaks up at me. Her tiny body is still so frail after her ordeal with Arralt but you wouldn’t know it from her attitude. It seems like after losing her wings she became much more determined to help the cause. She just uses a tiny cane now to get around instead of her beautiful multicolored wings. I put my hand down on the hallway table just outside the door and she carefully hobbles onto it.
    “Yes,” I answer. “But I’ll be back to get my stuff later.”
    “You know you don’t have to leave. We still need a lot of help around here,” she says eyeing me.
    “Hey I said I would be back to help didn’t I! I’m not going that far away!” I chuckle. “How are they doing today?” I ask, pointing back towards the door.
    “They are adjusting nicely,” she says. “The spells Arralt worked on them are very complex, I’m not sure we can do much to them without causing more damage. They may have to stay the way they are.”
    “Well at least they have a good home while we find their parents,” I murmur. I’m sad to leave this place but at the same time it’s the last place that I want