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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

“It’s all right,” I say. And it is. The goats nose at the kid and crowd around Niamh’s legs to check on the mother. “You’re very special goats,” I coo, “aren’t you?”

One of the billy goats flaps his wings and lifts off the ground, flying in a circle around us. A few of the others join him. I laugh and look up at Niamh. She’s already smiling at me.

“Niamh,” I say. “I wonder…”

I stand again, and start walking towards Watford. Niamh walks with me. The goats leap and bound and flit around us. Across the Great Lawn, over the drawbridge, through the courtyard. There are a few people milling around outside the White Chapel. They stop and stare. I keep walking, back to the barn Ebb shared with the goats. The doors swing open for us, and the goats follow us in, making themselves at home. Niamh casts a spell in one corner, to freshen up the straw, and we set the mother and child down together.

Niamh is beaming. At the goats. At me. When her hands are free, she gets them around me. I hook my arms behind her neck. More of her hair has fallen into her eyes, and it makes my knees weak. Thank magic she’s holding on to me, holding me up. Niamh kisses me again, and I want to draw a line through everything I considered a kiss before. I never knew a kiss could ask this much from me.

80

SIMON

Jamie and I end up in the stolen van. He doesn’t know how to drive, but I think I can manage. (Though my only practice has been on American highways.) He hasn’t eaten all day, so we stop at a KFC and eat our chicken in the car park. Neither of us says a word till we’re finished.

“What’ll we do if we get caught with this van?” Jamie asks, shoving his rubbish into a paper bag. “Neither of us have magic.”

“I guess we’ll have to wait for Baz and your mum to come fix it.”

“Well,” he says glumly, “I’m used to that.”

“Getting arrested?”

“No. Just my mum fixing things…” He glances over at me. “You must think I’m a right plonker. Letting Smith fool me like that. Hiding in his basement, just because he told me to.”

I shake my head. “I don’t think that—I believed him, too.”

“Part of me still believes in him.” Jamie sighs. “I really am a plonker.”

“I’m sorry,” I say, “about your magic.”

“Ah, it’s all right.” He throws a napkin into the bag. “I didn’t have much to lose. Not like you. You must miss it like crazy.”

“I do. But … if I’m being honest, I was never any good at it either. It’s not just about power, you know—you have to have some skill.”