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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

I killed my … mentor, I’d guess you’d call him. My guardian. He never talked to me about father-son things, but I was in his charge. I was his blade, his not-so-secret weapon. I had a place at his right hand.

I never even knew he had a name …

“There are some personal effects,” Dr. Wellbelove says, “furnishings. His wand and sword, a collection of daggers—”

“I don’t want them.”

“They’re very rare.”

“His family can have them. You said he had a family?”

“Cousins,” Dr. Wellbelove says, “in Gwynedd.”

“They can have it all.”

“There are other assets,” Dr. Wellbelove says. “His savings.”

“The Mage had money?”

“He had his stipend as headmaster and very few expenses.”

“His cousins can have all that, too.”

“No,” Dr. Wellbelove says firmly. “They can’t. Son—” Dr. Wellbelove calls me “son” sometimes, but he doesn’t mean it like a father would. (Well, maybe he means it like a father, but not like he’s mine.) “Listen to me. I know how unorthodox this is—”

“It’s not unorthodox, it’s demented! I can’t take money for killing him!”

“You’ll take the money because it’s yours, Simon. Legally. And—” Dr. Wellbelove’s face is getting red. “Justly. The man misused you. We all know that now.”

“He never misused me, sir—are people saying that?”

“No, I mean—Well, what I mean to say, Simon, is that we still don’t understand the scope of the Mage’s corruption, but we do know he was trying to steal your power. Possibly he did steal it.”

“He didn’t, I gave it away!”

“The bottom line is, he owes you, Simon. He owes you more than this. There’s no way that he—that anyone—can make up for the way he manipulated you, the years you spent furthering his interests.”

“He didn’t have to manipulate me. I wanted to help.”

“You were a child—”

“No, I was the Chosen One!”

Dr. Wellbelove looks down. And I look away. Both of us, embarrassed and ashamed. I was never the Chosen One. That was just another of the Mage’s lies. And Dr. Wellbelove and I were both fools to go along with it.

“It’s been decided by the Coven,” Dr. Wellbelove says. “The estate is yours, Simon.”

I lift up my chin. “I’m not the Coven’s concern anymore. I’m not a magician.”

Dr. Wellbelove sighs forcefully. “For Merlin’s sake, lad, just take the money.”

3

SHEPARD

I have known Penelope Bunce about a week.

In that week, I’ve tangled with a were-skunk, incited a vampire gang war, and been spelled stupid at least twice.

I’m having the time of my life.

We’re in London now. She insisted on bringing me home with her, with all of them, as soon as she realized I was cursed.