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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

His eyes are half closed. “Like a cave.”

“Like cold water.”

“That’s not a smell, Snow.”

I lick his lips. “So good.”

“Stay with me,” he whispers. “Don’t get lost in it.”

“I won’t,” I swear. “I’m here.”

He makes a fist in my hair. “Stay with me.”

“I will.”

BAZ

Maybe this is enough. Simon. Finally. Beside me.

Maybe it’s too much.

Maybe I’m the one getting lost …

(This is what I wanted, but I didn’t know what it was like. His heart is beating in my throat. His hands are everywhere. His tail. He has so many ways to hold on to me.)

I push his face away from mine. “I need—”

“What do you need, babe?”

I hold on to his cheeks. “I need you to know that I’m not disappointed in you.”

“Baz, it’s okay. I know.”

“I believe in you.” I cover his mouth, so he’ll listen. “Simon, I believe in you.”

He doesn’t try to argue. Not right away. His face looks so red under my hands. My bloodless fingers. My blue nails.

Simon pulls my wrist down. “Do you trust me?”

He knows I do. That I did, even when I hated him. (I never hated him.)

“Yes.”

“Can I touch you?”

I nod my head.

83

SIMON

I’m not crying. Neither is Baz.

My wings hurt. I lie on my stomach, so I can spread them out.

Baz sits beside me, and I know he’s inspecting the damage from yesterday. They’re just cuts, I’ll live.

I feel his fingers on the back of my neck.

“You can be angry now,” I say.

He pulls my hair.

84

SIMON

A few hours later, Baz is sitting on my bed with his violin, holding it like a guitar. He’s not playing anything, really. Just making cheerful noises with it. I didn’t know Baz’s violin was capable of cheerful noises. At Watford, it always sounded like it was crying.

“Does that hurt?” he asks.

I’ve got my wings folded up as tight as I can, and I’m buttoning a shirt over them. “Yeah, but there’s no way around it.”

“You could leave them out,” he says, “and I’ll cast spells at everyone who looks at you.”

“Seems impractical,” I say. “I’ll cope. I can spread them out once we get to Lady Ruth’s.”

“She’ll like that.” Baz stands up, leaving the violin on my bed, and comes over to me. He moves my hands away and finishes buttoning the shirt. It’s his shirt, an olive-green cotton one with complicated stripes and short sleeves. (I’ve never even seen Baz wear short sleeves.)

“Are you going to dress me every morning?” I ask.

“If you allow it, absolutely.”

I’ll probably allow it, what do I care.