The Savages

Chapter 20: It All Goes With the Wind

Teemu paced the room for the thirtieth time, hands interlocked behind him. He knew he should be asleep, like the rest of his brothers presumably were, but he found himself unable to. Each time he lied down on the queen-sized mattress, peacefully closing his eyes, they snapped back open again like spring locks. Thoughts of Kasperskies occupied his mental space, stressing about his wellbeing, worrying if he was hydrated enough, if he was fed, and if he was capable of eventually remembering his seven other siblings.

What upset him the most about finding Kasperskies was the gruesome discovery that David Anderson broke him from the inside out, tearing his circuits apart and corrupting his memory. In the span of seconds, he'd destroyed the young man Teemu and his brothers learned to love. Now he was a shell of his former self, freaking out at the slightest touch of a hand. It pained him more than he was willing to display to the others. It was solely his burden to carry, not theirs. He should have been there to protect them all, instead he felt he'd failed them by not being there when they needed him most.

Stopping during his fortieth pace, he glanced skyward at the bare white ceiling to the heavens beyond. He seldom felt like screaming out to God, asking Him why He chose to test the family in this way. Teemu knew even if he did, he wouldn't get an answer. The Lord was busy enough worrying about other things and giving miracles where they were needed most, rather than spending most of his time watching over his angels on Earth. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that God refused to offer assistance because of something he did. He wasn't sure what exactly it was.

Blinking hard, he pulled himself out of his trance-like state and ventured over to the bed once more. Slowly, he traced his fingers along the contour of the satin silk sheets, each stitch sewn with a pale silver floral design. It reminded him distantly of quilt sets from the 60s, usually found on the beds of royals. He hadn't yet adapted to the feeling of being in the company of royalty, Earth or Unai. Slate really went out of his way to help them, even though it wasn't compulsory. Teemu pondered about how to repay him for his selfless act, only to draw a complete blank. What could he give the Prince of Nesery, who undoubtedly already possessed everything he could ever want?

A soft knock came from the door, alerting him to another presence. Clearing his throat, he crossed the smooth, shiny wooden floorboards and pulled it open.

Standing on the other side was Emilia, wearing nothing more than an elegant navy blue lace dress, the hem, elbows and waistband all decorated with oyster trimmings curving inward. It fit her perfectly, as if whoever crafted the dress made it specifically for her. In that moment, she truly did look like an angel, sent down to deliver him a message. Her honey blonde hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail, and under the gentle illumination of the LEDs, he could see a few darker strands mixed in amongst the gold, closer to her roots. Her flawless, gentle face was void of any expression, and reflected in her ice blue eyes was an unfathomable emotion Teemu struggled to read. At such close proximity, he noticed with awe that a singular thin golden circle surrounded both of her pupils, barely visible, but still there all the same. The thick layer of eyeliner she wore further enhanced their hidden beauty.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," she said, giving him a wry smile. "I wanted to check in on you. I know this whole thing must be messing with your head quite a lot, especially since you haven't had a moment to breathe, really, since we all got here. It's always nice to have a shoulder to lean on."

He found himself smiling back at her, inexplicably flooded with relief. "No, you weren't interrupting anything. I mean," - he gestured briefly to the empty space around him - "what is there to interrupt?"

She pursed her lips in thought, taking a peek over his shoulder. "I do suppose you're right, in that regard. Might I request entry into the secluded world of Teemu Savage for a while?"