your poker face ain't fooling nobody

The sound of relief registered in his mind but the man couldn’t imagine how it really felt. Finding his own relief would be a long road that he might not see the end of. ”No, not you.” He knew the voice had to be Shaye’s. Samara was already speaking again though and he quieted as she spoke into his fur, she poured her emotions out to him. With her in his arms ignoring Shaye was a little easier. Her words begged him to stay, and Rhyme’s focus zeroed in on Rara’s sweet vocals.

Then she was crying. Rhyme felt the crystal tears soak into his fur as she confessed how much she needed him. He felt himself look up into the trees, Shaye was gone. The thought resonated within him. He suppressed his sorrow and in doing so suppressed all of his emotions. The self named Cavalier could hardly feel anything, but the tug of emotion in Samaras speech did much to bring him forward.

He simply shook his head as she fell into a flurry of apologies, she couldn’t have done anything to prevent his current state. She’d also being making an attempt to return his daughter, an effort that he appreciated even though the fog. His children meant the world to him and she was only trying to help alleviate his pain. She couldn’t have had any idea of what he would go through after. He struggled internally, a part of him clinging to Shaye and his illusions, the other yearned desperately for Samara. Half of him wished for death and half for life.

Rhyme knew that he had much to live for, his children were young and lost their mothers. Samara was right here in his embrace, admitting the need she had for his presence in the living plane. He still had a future, but he had to decide if he could live with his grief. Rhyme was still exhausted, emotionally and physically. His mind was too tired to seek out ghosts, so he pulled Samara closer and held onto her tightly because his life depended on it. ”Save me.” He pled softly, she was a light in the dark. A candle in the shadow that sought to devour him. ”Don’t go.”