"I need to see her," Boris explained as patiently as he could to the little gargoyle crouched protectively over her mother. "I must check to make sure she is still just sleeping peacefully and that her injuries are not worse than they look."

"No!" The little demon hissed at him, looking as though she would launch herself at him if he dared take another step closer to her sleeping mother, despite weighing a solid 300 pounds less than him. If Boris weren't so annoyed at her interference ...