#Chapter 199 – The Long Night

Rafe carefully places Victor on his side of the bed while I pull back the sheets. The two brothers cheerfully joke about the battle and the siege, about what happened next and how poor Rafe had to clean up Victor’s mess while Victor had what Rafe calls a “nice four-day nap.” Victor laughs at this and teases his brother, but I can see that his heart isn’t in it. He just wants to sleep, I know. But he’s honestly so sick, so tired that…I don’t know if he’ll wake up. It’s a horrible realization to come to as I tuck the blankets in around him. I see that Rafe comes to it as well and does his best to keep the knowledge of it off his face. As Victor looks between us, I know that we’re both failing. “Thank you,” Victor says, smiling at Rafe. “You’ve been a good brother to me. I’m glad that we have…fixed things. Between us. After so many years.” “Yeah,” Rafe says, a little awkward, running his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry that I…poisoned you during chess. And hung you upside down