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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

“You’re sticky,” he says. “There’s this orange film…”

“That’s the Betadine. The disinfectant.”

“So you did go in for the surgery?”

I glance at him over my shoulder. “Yeah. I went. And then … Well. I needed to come here. I’m still going to do it, have them off, but I—I needed to talk to you.”

I feel something against my wings and crank my head back. Baz is kissing me. Well, he’s kissing the wings. Down one side. Slowly. And … Up … The other.

It feels like he’s kissing the inside of my ear. Or the back of my throat.

I shudder.

Baz puts his arms around my waist, and holds me there.

“You’ll get Betadine on your mouth,” I say.

His voice is low: “Probably needs it.”

It’s too much. My skin is crawling, and my wings are flinching. I’m worried they’re going to fly out, like someone opening a spiked umbrella in his face. I pull his hands apart at my stomach and turn around. His lips really are orange; it makes me laugh.

“We should take a shower,” I say.

Baz raises an eyebrow.

My cheeks get hot. “I mean, we should both take showers. Like you said. Can I—I mean, this is your aunt’s place, right? Does she have a shower? Would she mind?”

18

BAZ

Snow has never been to my flat, not in all the time we’ve been together—too far from his beloved sofa, I assumed. Also, I suppose there was the risk of my aunt trying to kill him if she found him here. (Fiona still hasn’t forgiven Simon for being the Mage’s No. 1 henchman and for helping to arrest some of my second cousins.) (I mean, fair enough.)

He’s standing in my bedroom door now, probably thinking about how little there is to take in: A couple of racks of clothes. My violin. The down duvet and pillows from my room in Hampshire.

Since I left Watford and moved to London, I’ve spent most of my free time at Simon and Penny’s place—I even studied there. All I really needed here was a bed.

I dig out some clean clothes for Simon to borrow and point him towards the bathroom connecting my room and Fiona’s. He can have the first shower.

While he’s in there, I make him a plate of ham sandwiches. I should eat, too—and I should probably hunt again. More substantially. But I don’t want to walk away from Simon right now. What if he’s not here when I return?