Arla suppressed a shudder at the creeping thought of his [i]real[/i] diet that his comment returned to the forefront of her mind. She took a deep breath, reminding herself that Frieda trusted him. That she wasn’t on the menu. And, if she was, [i]someone[/i] would know what had happened if she couldn't fend him off. But he wasn’t the monsters that had chased her down. He hadn’t even come after her when she’d ran off before. Instead, he’d taken a nap. Not the most monster-like choice.
	“I’m sure that’s it.” She used a grin to push away the thoughts. “Popeye would be proud!”
	She trailed after him, staying a step behind and to his side. She cast the train cars quick glances, searching for anything that made each one stand out. After all, she’d have to remember how to get to the correct one on her own at some point. 
	She blinked at the half vampire in surprise at his response to her question.
	“Wait, for real? [i]Never?[/i]” Her brows rose slightly. She inhaled to add another question, but Rayth continued and looked to her.
	Realizing he was trying to gauge her age, she took a slight step away and angled herself more toward him to give him a better chance at the right conclusion. She glanced down at herself, his calculating gaze reminding her exactly how much of a mess she looked. For all she knew, though, that had added to her acceptance into the circus. She’d heard the ‘pathetic homeless girl’ look could work wonders.
	“Good guess,” Arla said with an approving nod. “I'll make sure to add 'good night vision' to the confirmed list of vampiric superpowers!” She offered a disbelieving smile. A day ago, she'd have laughed at the thought of saying [i]that[/i] with any form of seriousness. “I’ll be seventeen next month.”
	She glanced over to the next train car as they neared. She looked back fully to Rayth. Her head cocked slightly to the side.
	“So, are half-vampires that rare,” she began, remembering her unspoken question, “or are you just that much of a hermit?”