BooksBarbecue
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

“Did you get your wand back?” I ask.

His shoulders drop a bit. He looks down. “Yeah.” He runs one hand through his hair and sighs. I can’t tell what the sigh means or what he wants from me. “Daphne’s waiting for me,” he says. “I said I’d drive her home.”

“Oh,” I say. “That’s good.”

“Yeah, it’s a relief.” He looks up at me, without lifting his head. “Do you…”

“I’ve got to get Jamie home. He’s dead tired.”

“To Lady Salisbury’s?”

“Yeah.”

“She’ll be happy.”

“She will. Baz…” I start, not sure how I’ll finish.

He shakes his head again. “You can’t lie to me, Simon.”

“I—”

“Daphne is waiting for me,” he says. He turns to go.

79

AGATHA

Niamh wipes my hands clean, finger by finger.

The doe has nursed her kid. Niamh says they’re both doing well, though the mother is clearly exhausted.

“I wish we could take them back to the barn,” I say.

Niamh lowers an eyebrow, thoughtful. “Let’s try. I can carry the doe, with magic, if you can manage the kids.”

I turn to the first kid, still lying where I laid it in the grass. The dryad is hovering above it. She looks meeker than she did before, her head down, her mossy hair hanging in her eyes. “I’ll take care of this one,” she lilts softly. “I’ll find a place for it to sleep.”

“All right,” I say.

“Ready?” Niamh asks me. She’s been ignoring the dryad; Niamh only has time for things that are useful.

I nod and pick up her bag. And then the little goat, the live one. Niamh lifts its mother in her arms and walks steadily back into the forest.

I feel like I should say something more to the dryad—

No. I feel like I should say something to Ebb.

I look up at her stone marker. There are flowers growing all around it, vines winding up and around the marble. I didn’t notice that before.

The dryad is watching me from a few feet away.

I whisper to the stone: “I did what you told me to do. I ran.”

The dryad drifts closer.

I drop my voice even more. “Thank you.”

I leave then, before Niamh gets too far ahead of me.

“Do you know where you’re going?” I call out to her.

“No!” she shouts back. “Hurry up, so I can follow you.”

It’s daylight again at the edge of the Wood. When we walk through the trees, the rest of the herd is waiting for us. They jump and bleat when they see the doe in Niamh’s arms. A few of them spread their wings—they’re feathered, just like a pegasus’s.

I kneel and hold the baby out—a little doe—so they can see her.

“Careful,” Niamh says.