Shackled (The Lord Series) by Amy T

424. Bought - Bonus chapters V

**Erelah**

Grumpy has been sulking since the night I found him. Since he refused to tell me his name, I had to give him one so I wouldn't have to always refer to him as 'the male.' His wings are healing so slowly, making me more desperate for answers about his origins. He's like a puzzle I can't solve.

Grumpy looks at the snowflake in my palm with an expression I can't read. He can't see the beauty in simple things like I do. But I have the patience to show him.

The snowflake starts to melt, and he touches it with the tip of his finger. For one second, he looks fascinated. I wonder how he will react to other things, like hearing the birds sing around the forest. But it will be a while until spring is here. "Snow," I say. He looks at me while his finger swirls the melted snowflake in my palm. "And now it turned into water." Another snowflake falls on my palm. "See how pretty it is? Each one has a different pattern. Sometimes, I wish I could have Sister Iaoth's talent to draw them. Winter is my favorite time of the year." I don't know why I keep bothering to speak to him when he is clearly not interested in communicating with me. Maybe because I still hope he will open up to me. There's something about him that I can't put my finger on. I shouldn't have made him my prisoner but I don't seem to want to let him go either. It's the first time such a thing has happened to me, and I pray that none of my sisters find out about him. Even if I am the Mother Superior, I will be shunned for such actions.

Snow covers his hair like a white hood and I reach out to brush it off.

He says something in his almost impossible-to-pronounce language.

"It might take a while until I can pick up the sounds you make," I sigh.

I pull him back into the cave and have him sit on the makeshift bed before grabbing the small sack I brought today.

other day. Since we have an extra mutton sausage, I brought some for you. Sister Hael loves cooking. She's in the kitchen all day long. The honey cookies are her specialty," I ramble as I put out several paper packages from the

interested. When he finds the cookies and the dried fruits, he gives me a betrayed look before finally opening the one with the sausages. The next moment, he is stuffing his

to like meat more than I expected." I pick up a cookie. "You should

finishes the sausages.

monastery either." I sit next to him. "Maybe the village? But how do I explain where I found you? Not only that, but how will you talk with the others?" Suddenly, I make up my mind about something. "You will learn my language whether you like it or not!

at his

doesn't even try to say it back. "Hand," I repeat until I wear

finally says

say before making him repeat 'hand' until he gets

move to another word and another, until I make him memorize several of them. I make him repeat the same words I drilled in his head to me in

moment I get

dread leaving him alone. "You know I can't

"Erelah?" he insists.

never

tilts to the side, the corners of his mouth slightly twitching as if he knows

I say as I leave the cave. I look