Despite Saga's best efforts and Alabaster's accommodating speed, the rain proved merciless and, by the time she located the apartment, wrenched the door open, and staggered in, she was drenched.

"D-damn," she managed to gasp out, brushing dark strands of hair away from her eyes and trying to tug off her shoes, "it feels more like we swam he-- whoa!"

In retrospect, she shouldn't have left the stack of dictionaries so close to the door. Especially not when she was dripping and leaving slick spots on the floor, which led to one wrong step, and skidding, and tripping, and--

It really was a miracle that she'd survived so long on her own.