Shackled (The Lord Series) by Carlos

Locating the place of impact isn't very difficult. I know these woods as the back of my palm. I was made to protect the island on which the monastery was built. I've spent a lot of time here, meditating or praying.

Close to where the water meets the land, there's a big crater in the frozen ground, broken rocks and wood scattered all over the snow. And in the middle of it is not a meteorite as I initially thought, but a male angel. A male like I have never seen before. Taller and stronger than any other male I have come in contact with until now.

A long sword is next to him.

Who is he?

Where did he come from?

Did he actually fall from the sky?

An avalanche of questions rushes to my mind, but I push them away. But now is not the time to get distracted.

Two pairs of radiant wings adorn his back. They shine brightly in the cold night. If not for the faint sounds of pain coming from him, I would have thought he was dead. An armor made from a metal I don't recognize covers his body. It is mangled and bent in many places. I'll have to yank it off his body to see the extent of his injuries.

The male is on his back, three of his wings broken. His body shivers uncontrollably. I don't know if it's from the cold or the impact. Maybe both things.

How he is still alive is beyond me.novelbin

I jump into the crater.

The most vibrant pair of blue eyes I've ever seen look at me.

"You're going to be fine," I say as I remove his helmet. Hair so blond it almost appears white springs free from it. His hand reaches out for his sword. "It wouldn't be wise to try to kill the one who is trying to save you," I point out when his fingers wrap around the pommel.

I touch one of his broken wings, wanting to know the extent of his injuries. A hiss of pain leaves him. He grabs my wrist, yanking my hand away from him. Then, he reaches out again for his sword. This time, I watch him, wanting to see what he will do. He brings his sword to his wings, but before he can cut them off, I stop him.

Something in his expression makes my heart ache for him. He knows he won't make it.

I make it my personal mission to heal him.

"I'll do what I can to save them," I promise as I place the sword out of his reach and turn my attention back to his wings. This time, he lets me examine them.

The bones broke in many tiny fragments, many of them protruding from the skin. White feathers, stained red, fall the moment my fingers touch them.

"Don't worry about that. The feathers will grow back," I try to convince him that it's not as bad as it looks like.

A defeated look appears in the male's gaze, making me even more determined to save him. My wings twitch. I've never seen wings more damaged than his. Saving them would be a miracle.

An angel without his wings is nothing. Even the demons take great pride on their wings.

"I'm Erelah," I keep talking, trying to distract him from the pain.

"Erelah," he says before passing out.

I spend the next hour removing his armor and healing his body while he slips in and out of conscience a few times. A scar is on his chest, right above his heart. I ignore it for now. The wings will take me several days to heal, and since the damage is so extent, I can't do it in one setting.

When the life-threatening wounds are no more, I put his sword on the belt around my waist and drag him to a nearby cave. Since I like spending a lot of time in the forest, I've stashed a few things in there in case of an emergency. Some old blankets, a few pillows, clothes, and travel rations. I often get hungry when I meditate out here.

Oil lamps are along the stone walls, and I light them before I place his sword in a far corner.

The male regains conscience once more. His gaze darts around the cave before stopping on me. His eyes are full of questions. If I can, I'll answer all of them.

He tries to stand, but he is still too weak to do so. My powers can heal and cure, but it might take some time for the patient to regain all their strength back. I have especially noticed it in the sons and daughters born between angels and demons. They are quite different from their parents. They are born without wings, and their lifespan is quite short. My interaction with them is quite limited as I rarely leave the island. Only when I am asked to heal villages plagued by different illnesses that only affect them.

"Rest. It will do you good," I say.

I quickly make a makeshift bed and help him get under the blankets. Not only to protect him from the cold but to hide his nakedness as well. Except for his armor, he has nothing on.

It's been a while since I saw a male so naked as the one before my eyes. Only females are allowed to live in the monastery, and the few males who set foot on the island are the ones in charge of our provisions.

The Warrior Nuns dedicate their entire existence to serving God.

"Erelah?"

"Yes. And you?" The male doesn't reply. A crease forms between his brow when I keep looking at him. "Your name?" I insist.

The male falls silent once more.

Maybe the fall has affected his brain and he has a hard time understanding me.

I place my hand on my arm, wanting to heal whatever internal injury I have missed, but he jerks it away from me as if my touch burns him.

It doesn't offend me.

Just like my sisters and I, there are males who have taken vows of celibacy, sworn to serve God for all eternity.

I take out a few granola bars from the sack I keep the travel rations in and pass them to the male. He looks at them as if it's the first time he's seen food.

"Eat. It will help you gain your strength back faster."

When the male keeps staring at the food on the blanket, I pick up one of the granola bars and take a bite from it. "See? It's not poisoned," I huff before I tentatively coax him to eat.

His gaze is full of distrust. Yet, he opens his mouth and allows me to feed him.

"That's a start," I say after he eats a bit before pushing my hands away.

I grab the waterskin and help him drink. Then, I stand and go to the mouth of the cave and watch the sky. It won't be long before dawn is here.

"Erelah?"

I chuckle softly. "Is that the only word you know how to say?"

The male doesn't reply. By now, I figured he wouldn't say anything else.

I face him.

"I suppose my questions will have to wait." I sigh. "Maybe you speak another language. But which one? I only knew a few." I bite my bottom lip. "I was never good at learning language. Sister Dazielle speaks quite a few, but she hates males, and she would rather skin you alive than talk to you. Besides, I don't think my sisters will be happy with me hiding a male on the island. So you better stay put until I return. I won't be gone for long. Only until after the morning prayers and breakfast."

While I doubt he will leave the cave when his wings still need healing, I still shackle his leg to the wall. He doesn't even try to stop me.

The first thing I put in the cave was a chain in case I ever captured Zarall and needed a place to interrogate him away from the monastery.

I place food and water close to him.

Sensing probably that I'm about to leave him alone, he says, "Erelah?" with his tone full of confusion.

"Try to sleep," I suggest before leaving the cave.