Free Conway's Curse by Patric Michael

him out of there, though, before he changes back. Not a lot of room under that porch, I think.”
     
    “It’d serve him right,” Kail said, laying his hand on Wylde’s shoulder and grinning at Tion. “He was right enough about the wrangler bit, but nobody calls my friend feckless.”
     

     

     
    Marvin , Trager, and several men Tion didn’t know trudged up the stairs with buckets of steaming water.
     
    “They should be just about done,” Conway said. “After a hot bath and some sleep, you’ll be good as new.”
     
    Wylde grinned. “I’m all for the bath, but I don’t think I’ll be getting too much sleep any time soon.” He clasped one of Conway’s hands and kissed it.
     
    Conway looked puzzled, and Kail groaned. “He wants you naked, Oaf.”
     
    “Duh,” Conway said. “I don’t plan on taking a bath with my clothes on.”
     
    Tion laughed. “Leave it be, Kail. He’ll figure it out. Don’t you remember our first time?”
     
    Kail flushed. “How could I forget? You were so smart, and me saying, ‘You want to put what, where?’” He peered at Conway, who still looked confused. Kail shook his head sadly. “The state of education these days,” he muttered.
     
    “Wylde, there’s one thing I still don’t understand.” Tion looked at Conway, then at the wizard. “Given what you said earlier, I thought Conway’s curse was only rogue magic, but that fireball he produced, that was something more, wasn’t it?”
     
    Wylde nodded. “More, as in he has more natural ability than I do, if that’s what you mean.”
     
    Conway looked startled. “Do you mean it? I can do magic?”
     
    Wylde chuckled. “I’ll be hard pressed to keep you from it.”
     
    “Then maybe I’ll be able to change the guys back to their proper size.”
     
    “Hold up, Oaf.” Kail stood on his chair to meet Conway’s gaze head on. “I don’t know about Tion, but I like being big enough to kick your ass.”
     
    It was Wylde’s turn to look startled. He looked at Kail, then at Conway, who shook his head, smiling. “Never mind. I’ll tell you later.”
     
    Kail planted his fists on his hips. “What I want to know is, what’s with all those damned scrolls?”
     
    Wylde the Wandering Warrior Wizard blushed as deeply and as thoroughly as Conway once had. “It was the first spell I ever cast. It was supposed to help me find the one person I needed as much as he needed me.” He glanced at Conway. “Only I was sloppy. Instead of saying ‘a person whose need was like mine’, I said ‘a person whose need was as great as mine’. Plus, I forgot to specify that the person had to be male.” He brightened and winked at Tion. “There were a lot of scrolls.”
     
    Marvin called down from the balcony as Trager and the strangers filed down the stairs. “It’s ready, boys. First come, first served!”
     
    “You go,” Conway said. “I’ll keep the sprites company until you’re done.”
     
    “I have a much better idea.” Wylde winked at Kail. He took Conway’s hand and led him to the stairs. They were nearly to the top when Tion heard Conway gasp and Wylde laugh.
     
    One of the strangers commented to the other as they left the inn. “I should’a brought my wife here for our honeymoon. I had no idea the tub was that big.”
     
    Kail watched them leave. “You know, by the time those two figure things out, the water’ll be cold, and it sounds like there’s enough room.”
     
    “You are still kind of stinky,” Tion agreed. “Why not?”
     
    Kail leaped from the bench, and Tion followed in hot pursuit.
     
    “Have fun, boys,” Marvin called as they ran past him and down the hall to their room.
     

     

     
    Tion and Kail trooped into the bathing room with towels draped over their shoulders and nothing else on. Wylde started and grabbed a towel to cover himself. “Hey! What’s the big idea?”
     
    Kail rolled his eyes. “Humans and their morals,” he said to Tion. “I don’t see what