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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

I keep getting there: “And what happened after that? I got captured by a skunk! And a dragon! And more vampires! And I did nothing to get myself or anyone else out of it. Nothing!”

“You saved Agatha.”

“Agatha saved Agatha! I was along for the ride!”

“Penelope, I watched you—”

“That’s a problem, too, Shepard. Magicians aren’t supposed to do magic in front of Normals. Our entire culture depends on secrecy. I should have wiped your memory a dozen times over.”

He smiles again. “To be fair, you did try.”

“Argghhhhhhhh.” I fall back against the headboard.

Shepard leans closer. “I know you’re a good witch,” he says gently. “Your friends treat you like a Jedi Master.”

“My friends?” I know Shepard doesn’t mean to be cruel, but that was a low blow. My voice drops away from me. “You mean, Simon? He broke up with me, too. Because I kept getting him in trouble. You heard my mother: I make problems.” I shake my head. “I don’t solve them.”

Shepard finally stops arguing.

I can’t face him. I stare at my lap instead.

After a few minutes, I hear him sigh. “So, that’s it? You’re going to send me home?”

I look back up. He’s got his lips twisted to one side. Like he can’t quite fathom that his powers of persuasion have failed.

“Yes,” I say. “I can send you to Las Vegas if you want. And give you money to get your truck back.”

“Would it be counterfeit money?”

“Yes.”

“You can just send me back to Omaha.”

“All right.”

His shoulders are slumped, and he (finally) looks sad. Maybe he isn’t thinking about how his charm failed him; maybe he’s thinking about how I did.

“I am sorry that I dragged you here,” I say.

He lifts up his chin. “It’s okay, Penelope. It was fun. I got to see a little bit of London. And a little bit of magic.” He smiles. “I met some either/orcs.”

“Let me get cleaned up,” I say. “Then I’ll figure out your ticket.”

Shepard hands me the orange juice he’s been holding. “I’m sorry you got dumped,” he says. “I didn’t know.”

“Me neither, apparently.”

He gathers the sausage roll trash and stands up. “Anyone who would break up with you multiple times isn’t playing with a full deck.”

“That’s not true, but thanks.”

Shepard walks away. His hair nearly brushes the top of my doorway.

“I do wish I could have helped you,” I say.

He pauses and shrugs. “It’s okay.” Then he walks out of the room and turns back to me. “You really were the first person to ever give me any hope of getting my soul back. I’m still grateful for that.”

22

AGATHA