Chapter 29: His death for man, as many as offer’d life neglect not, and the benefit embrace by faith not void of works. – XII, 425-427

Lissie and Holland are back!

Rhys is unreasonably excited. Miles is unreasonably excited. But, in all fairness, the girls are very excited to see them, too. Lissie throws her arms around Rhys’ neck with reckless abandon and he feels warm when he hugs her back.

“Gods, I missed you,” Lissie murmurs near his ear as she pulls back. “You’d think my aunts and uncles would be relaxed about facial piercings and tattoos, but I had to listen to their warnings about Holland leaving me for someone prettier for so long that I considered knocking myself back out.”

“You’d think they’d just be happy you’re not dead,” Rhys deadpans. “But I’ll go home with you sometime and show them my horror sleeve.”

They both stare at Rhys’ arm for a minute – a homage to all his favorite and most gruesome horror villains. He finally managed to finish it a year ago, after spending two before that with a Freddie Kruger shaped hole on his forearm.