Conway's Curse Read Online Free PDF Page B

hand which held the lamp aloft, and finally followed by Conway, who closed the door behind him.
     
    “I’m sorry. Did I wake you?”
     
    Kail muttered groggily beside Tion and rolled over. Tion rubbed his back for a few moments. “It’s okay, lad. What’s wrong?”
     
    Conway sat down on the edge of the bed that all but dwarfed the two sprites. He set the lamp on a small table and folded his hands in his lap. After a long moment he spoke, and his voice was barely a whisper. “I’m scared.”
     
    Tion snugged the blanket around himself and Kail. “What of, Conway?”
     
    “Listen.” He tilted his head toward the far wall
     
    Tion turned his head to look out the window. The moon was beyond his view, but he could still see the barest touch of silver shimmering in the stirring leaves. “What is it? I don’t—”
     
    A faint howl sounded from what might have been deep in the forest, well beyond the open square of the village. To Tion, it sounded somehow forlorn, and yet at the same time, angry. “The woof?”
     
    Conway nodded, his eyes wide in the fluttery lamplight. “It’s been doing that for the last hour or so.”
     
    Tion patted the human’s arm awkwardly. “Try not to think about it, Conway. The moon isn’t quite dark yet, and even if it was, according to Marvin we’re safe enough as long as we don’t go into the woods after dark.”
     
    “I know, but….” Conway shivered hard enough to rouse Kail briefly.
     
    “Is he still here?”
     
    “Hush, Kail,” Tion said, rubbing Kail’s bare back again. “He’s concerned about the woof. Go back to sleep and I’ll take care of it.”
     
    “What, is he afraid? He’s three times our size, for crying out loud,” Kail grumbled and rolled over to peer at Conway. “What’s he got to be afraid of?”
     
    Conway hung his head, evidently ashamed, and Tion elbowed Kail in the ribs, hard. “The same thing anybody is afraid of, Kail, no matter how big or small they are. The unknown.”
     
    Kail protested loudly, rubbing his ribs, but when Tion began to argue with him, Conway held up his hand. “No, he’s right, Tion. I shouldn’t be afraid. Granny told us kids stories of weres and buggerts and trills and all sorts of things that live in the woods, so it’s not like they’re all that unknown.” He took a deep breath and stood. “I should go back to my room. I’m sorry I woke you.” Conway lifted the lamp and turned away, but not before Tion saw a shine in his eyes.
     
    “Conway, wait a—”
     
    Kail interrupted him. “Get back here, Oaf.” He sat up and rubbed green ire from his eyes. “You don’t get to waltz in here, wake us up, then disappear without making amends.”
     
    “What do you want me to do?” Conway asked, confused.
     
    Kail rolled his eyes and looked at Tion. “He really can’t be that dumb, can he?” Before Tion could reply, he turned to look at Conway. “You stay here and keep us safe, dummy. You are as big as a house, after all.” Mock irritation dripped from his voice and briefly stained the quilt that covered the bed before it evaporated. Kail pushed Tion over and scooted out of the way to make room. He patted the empty space between them. “And since you didn’t have sense enough to stoke the fire, you can keep us warm too.”
     
    “Are you sure? I don’t want—”
     
    Green fire flashed in the dim room as Kail growled.
     
    “Best do as he says, Conway,” Tion interjected. “You know how he gets.”
     
    Conway nodded and came back to the bed. He set the lamp down and stripped quickly before climbing gingerly over Tion. As he settled back, Tion drew the quilt up to Conway’s chin and slipped his arm across the human’s broad expanse of chest. He could feel Conway’s rapidly beating heart slow down just as Kail’s hand met his beneath the covers. Tion clasped it and felt his own heart all but burst with love and pride for his partner. The glow it produced bathed and mingled with similar