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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

Baz looks at me, one eyebrow cocked low, then nods. “I won’t be long.” He kisses my cheek before he walks away. I like that. All the easy kisses he’s giving me. All the checking on me and checking in with me. You might think it would be irritating, but it really isn’t. It makes me think it would have been nice to have someone looking out for me like this all along.

I lean against the wall across from the portrait and slide to the ground.

I wonder who painted it. I can’t really see the paint. Maybe it’s more like a photo. Some sort of magickal wall print. You find all sorts of weird shit down here … I always thought this portrait must be ancient. But Lady Ruth’s daughter would only be in her 40s. Around the same age as Penny’s parents.

She’s about my age, I think, in this portrait. She’s outside, in the sun. Her hair is almost yellow. And even though she’s crying, she doesn’t look unhappy. More … wistful. I used to think she looked like she’d lost something—but maybe I only thought that because I was down here looking for Baz.

It would suck to have to go down into a crypt to visit your mother’s grave. I swear his family doesn’t even realize how creepy they are.

I get out my phone and take a video of the portrait. I don’t know if I want to show it to Lady Ruth—it’s kind of disturbing. But maybe it’s a clue that could help her find her daughter. Maybe we should help her with that next, after we find Jamie. I hope she’s right, that this girl is alive somewhere. All grown up and just fine.

I really don’t understand why both of Lady Ruth’s kids ran away. She seems grand to me. Laid-back, generous. I like her house. I like the way everything in it feels old. Older than Lady Ruth, even. Like it was built to have multiple lives. I’d like to have a house like that someday.

I wonder what kind of a place Baz wants … I think I hear him coming back up the tunnel.

There he is.

He looks dramatic, lit up by torches. He’s casting two shadows.

I get up from the ground and walk towards him. He turns his face away when I try to kiss him.

“Did you just drink a rat?” I ask.

He shrugs one shoulder.

“I can’t believe you went hunting without me.”

51

AGATHA

I’m driving this time. Dad let me take the Volvo. The drive to Watford has been torturous so far, even with air-con. I’m bad at small talk—because I hate it—but Niamh seems to be incapable.

“When do you become a full-fledged magickal vet?” I ask, after twenty minutes of silence.