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Back Any Way the Wind Blows Save as PDF
Chapters (100)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. 65
  69. 66
  70. 67
  71. 68
  72. 69
  73. 70
  74. 71
  75. 72
  76. 73
  77. 74
  78. 75
  79. 76
  80. 77
  81. 78
  82. 79
  83. 80
  84. 81
  85. 82
  86. 83
  87. 84
  88. 85
  89. 86
  90. 87
  91. 88
  92. 89
  93. 90
  94. 91
  95. EPILOGUE
  96. AGATHA
  97. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  98. Also by Rainbow Rowell
  99. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  100. Newsletter Sign-up

“I can’t even believe you found a proper fairy—but, Shepard, they’re evil!”

He smiles at his lap. “She didn’t seem evil.”

“Morgana below, is this part of your whole … thing?”

He lifts his chin up and looks at me like I’m the one being strange. “Is what part of my whole thing? Going home with girls?”

“Going home with creatures. Are you some sort of collector?”

“No!” He’s laughing at me. “No. Not, like, intentionally.”

I fall back against the arm of the sofa, covering my eyes. “I can’t.”

I can still hear him laughing.

“You’re lucky the curse saved you from disappearing into the fairy realm,” I say.

“Didn’t feel lucky at the time.”

I shake my head hard, really not wanting to imagine what else Shepard has followed home over the years. Then I haul myself back up, smoothing my skirt, and trying to sort out the relevant implications … “So you’re not allowed to be with anyone else? Romantically? We should write that down.”

“Oh no,” he says. “That’s not the problem. The curse doesn’t keep me from hooking up. I don’t think the demon cares what I do before I die.”

I can feel my cheeks burning. “Then why couldn’t you pass through the fairy fog?”

“I think it’s because time passes differently with the fairies…”

“Oh, sure,” I say, getting it, “it’s another sort of immortality!”

“Or altered mortality,” he agrees.

“Huh.” I stand up and find my chalk. I make a note of it on the wall: C.V. can’t be made immortal. And—“Engagement” doesn’t interfere with sexual congress.

“Not how I’d put it,” Shepard says.

I tap the chalk against my chin.

“What happens in the stories?” he asks.

I turn back to him. “Hmm?”

He looks sheepish again. “To the beautiful maidens?”

“Oh, they get out of it, of course. They find a loophole. Or they trick the old creepy guy. My dad used to love to tell this story about a beautiful magician who secretly married her true love and … Oh! Oh my words!! Shepard!!! I have an idea.”

43

BAZ

I thought we were going to have to do some detective work to find Smith-Richards’s residential centre, but apparently someone gave Simon a leaflet at the meeting. (No one offered me a leaflet.) (No one ever wants me to join their religion, either.)

Penelope still hasn’t called. Or texted. Simon’s in a funk about it, but hopefully he’ll rally. I sprung for a taxi, so he wouldn’t pout about having to take the train or a bus.

“Pull over here,” I say to the cabbie.

Simon squints out the window. “Here?”

“Apparently,” I say, paying the fare.