Demon From the Dark by Kresley Cole

awake, wanting to be there if she woke missing her mother. Carrow had been exhausted and knew she needed to be strong for her mission, but putting Ruby's needs above her own affected her in ways she wasn't ready to analyze.
                Once, the girl had sleepily mumbled, "Mommy?"
                Tears threatening, Carrow had said, "It's okay, baby. Go back to sleep."
                But since Ruby had awakened this morning, there'd been nonstop hissy. At least she hadn't passed out so far.
                "Why do you have to leave this morning?" Ruby demanded.
                "The sooner I leave, the sooner I can return. Now, Dr. Dixon is going to sit you until Lanthe gets back, okay?"
                Ruby crossed her little arms over her chest, jutting her chin. "You'renot leaving me behind. Or I'll do a spell to make you smell like ass. Forever."
                Carrow raised her brows. "Harsh, Ruby, harsh ." I think I'm the one who taught her to say "smell like ass." "And you can't do spells, anyway. Remember what I said about the collar?"
                From behind Carrow, Lanthe quietly said, "You need to be firmer with the child."
                Over her shoulder, Carrow muttered, "Come on, think about what she's been through." And Carrow had no way to comfort her, none of her old tricks to pull.
                Before when Ruby had cried, Carrow had been able to solve all with strategic bouts of consumerism. An all-expenses paid trip to Disney World for her and her posse of friends, a monkey, a robot, a half-pipe skating ramp. Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy.
                Lanthe scoffed. "I lost my parents when I was not much older than she is."
                Funny, so did I, Carrow thought. But she shook away those memories. She didn't have the luxury of wallowing in the past. As she looked down at Ruby, it struck Carrow yet again that she now had a responsibility . Someone depending solely on her. "You're going to be good for Miss Lanthe, right?"
                "Miss Lanthe?" the sorceress repeated, her blue eyes gleaming dangerously. "Why don't you just buy me a minivan, zip me into mom jeans, and shoot me in the face?"
                Carrow shrugged. "I'll make this up to you when we all get out, yeah?"
                The sorceress played with one of her dark plaits. "Melanthe's sitting service has rates of one hundred K an hour."
                "Put it on my tab."
                Footsteps sounded down the corridor. Coming for me. Ruby heard them as well; she launched herself from the bunk at Carrow's legs.
                Carrow caught her up, swinging the girl into a hug. Ruby clung with her little arms, her face streaked with tears as she pressed it against Carrow's neck. Carrow stared at the ceiling, struggling to keep from bawling with her.
                "Promise you'll come back," Ruby whispered.
                Her words sounded slurred, babyish even. Promise came out as pwomise . Carrow knew precisely jack-point-jack about raising kids, but she didn't think this reversion could be a good thing, in light of the circumstances.
                Carrow eased Ruby back to meet her eyes. "I vow to the Lore that I will come back for you. You believe me, don't you?"
                A slight nod.
                Fegley, Dr. Dixon, and a contingent of guards arrived, opening the cell's glass door. The woman reached for Ruby, but Carrow hugged her even closer.
                "Anything happens to her, it's on your head, Dixon." She cast the doctor a warning look, knowing her irises would flicker. Carrow's eyes didn't change color with emotion. They changed brightness, glittering like stars. Right now, she was literally starry-eyed, and it was freaking the mortal out.
                Dixon stared, absently