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Back Any Way the Wind Blows
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

“Fiona…” I’m holding my head now. “Anything I said when I was ten was just me parroting your words back to you. I wasn’t being a good soldier or a good spy; I just wanted your attention!”

She shakes her head. “I don’t feel bad about giving you that tape recorder; do you want me to feel bad?”

“Yes!” I stand up. “I stole an innocent girl’s voice! She lost her magic!”

“Shit happens, Baz!”

“I happened, Fiona! I’m the shit!”

“Well, I’m not sorry!” she shouts.

“You should be!” I scream back. “I was a child, and you used me!”

“And it fucking worked—it was children who brought down the Mage!”

“It was Simon who brought down the Mage! And it wouldn’t have happened if I’d stolen his voice…” I kick at a pile of clothes.

There’s nothing here. Not for me.

I leave Fiona in her room.

Nico is still sitting on the sofa. He jerks to his feet when I come in.

I snort. As if I’m going to open that box right now, the one labelled, My fuckup vampire-hunter aunt is hooking up with a vampire fuckup. No, thank you. I have enough on my plate.

I’m not a child anymore.

Fiona doesn’t get to tell me what it means to be a good Pitch.

I don’t think I care.

61

PENELOPE

The tattoos are gone.

Shepard holds out his arms, and I run my fingertips up the inside of one forearm. They’re gone.

“Penelope…” he says. “You did it.”

I did it. Shepard isn’t going to hell … At least not that version of it.

“Penelope!” Shepard sounds a little delirious. He picks me up and spins me around. “You did it!”

“I mean”—I hold on to his shoulders—“you did help.”

“You’re an absolute madwoman! You summoned a demon in your living room. You’re an entire crazy train!”

I frown down at him. “I wouldn’t say crazy … I had a plan.”

“A crazy plan.” He sets me down, still holding me. “What if it hadn’t worked?”

“I was pretty sure it was going to work.”

“Yeah, but it might not have…”

I shake his shoulders. “Stop second-guessing me, Shepard! The proof is in the pudding.”

“You’re the most dangerous thing I’ve ever seen,” he says, kissing me. “You’re an F5, easily. Maybe an F6.”

I let him kiss me. I like it when he kisses me. “We broke the curse…” I murmur.

“You broke the contract,” he says.

“It was never valid.”

He pulls away, grinning down at me. “Should I be hurt that you got me out of this by convincing that demon that I was more trouble than I’m worth?”

“I merely presented the facts.”

He kisses me soundly, then starts laughing, purely from joy, I think. “I’ll never be able to thank you enough for this.”