As vague as his answer was, shock crossed Izzy’s face at the single word. “I’m... I’m sorry.”
	Her gaze followed Cerasus as he returned to sit at the roof’s edge, a seed of pity for the vampire’s tribulations sprouting in her. When he looked to her, she did not immediately look away. Unsure what to say as he finished, she turned her attention to the rooftop and sat, pulling her knees to her chest and draping her arms over them.
	She stared out at the fields and trees beyond the tangled mass of weeds of the schoolyard for a couple moments, then took a deep breath.
	“Thank you, Cerasus,” she began quietly. “For sparing me. And rescuing me that first day.”