I, Immortal the Series, Book 2, World In Flames: I, Immortal The Series, #2

By M J Rutter

Wracked with concern for her safety, Peter is beside himself, he knows what she is going through, what the evil Fallen leader, Cornelius, will do to her day in and day out. He knows, because she sacrificed herself for his safe return.

Amelia is confused, she shouldn't feel anything but hatred for Cornelius, yet she has warmed to him and his affection. She is betraying Peter and her heart. Though she has accepted that fate has separated them, that this is her life now, they need to accept that this is her path, she chose it, she must walk it.

The plight of humanity is relying on their reunion and subsequent connection, will it be enough to draw her back?

• Language: English
• Publisher: M J Rutter
• Release date: Sep 16, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386131601

Book preview

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or distributed in any form, including digital and electronic or mechanical, including printing, photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written consent of the Publisher, except for brief use in reviews.

This book is a work of fiction. Characters, names, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Acknowledgements

Ahuge thank you to my family and friends for their continued support. My husband for being patient and my children Mackenzie and Brodie, for understanding my need to write.

Thank you to you, my readers, this would not be possible without your support and I am very grateful to you all.

Finally, a massive thank you to my amazing publisher at Itoh Press, Carol Itoh. Who has battled with illness to keep her promise to me to get these books published, I’ll never forget all she has done for me since signing me in 2012. It’s been a wild ride and I have loved every minute of it.

Prologue

W ake up, he snarled . Amelia, I command you to open your eyes now. My eyes snapped open, why? I do not know because I felt so exhausted. A month has passed since I left them all at the town in Montana, a month of darkness, of being ordered around, a month of excruciating whippings until I had no skin left to thrash from my body. I ached, I was sore and hungry, but most of all I was so tired, I just wanted to sleep, to live in my dreams where he could not hurt me anymore. I knew it would have been hard, unbearable even, but nothing could have prepared me for the torture I endured, night after night, day after day. I was comforted by one thought, something protected me from them, something inside would burst out electricity shocks should they try and touch me in a manner I did not want.

They tried many times, at night while I slept shackled to the wall by a chain doused in mercury. They would come to me, to take me, make me theirs, but I belonged to Peter. I was saving myself for him and for some unknown reason, when they made advances towards me, my body would react and shock them, smashing them into the wall and leaving them convulsing on the ground of the cold cave I now lived in. Still, when he spoke I was powerless to resist.

The day I arrived with them he took something away, or at least he thinks he did. He thought he took away my love for Peter, but nothing so pure and strong could ever be taken by something so dark and sinister. Still, if he commanded me to, I did it and I didn’t know why, it seemed I had no choice,

Amelia, get me water. I got water. Amelia, massage my shoulders. My hands would just go there and though I had the opportunity to strangle the life out of him, my hands did not; they would squeeze gently causing my stomach to erupt.

If I’d had any food inside of me, I would have vomited it up, but I would not eat, if I did not eat their blood smeared food then I would remain pure, strong against them, when the time came, when my rescuers arrived, I would need every ounce of strength my body could hold. 

We moved frequently, my caves were all different, but still, we hid in caves. Some were warm like the volcano in Iceland and others, cold like the ones in Alaska, where night would last for months. Although I am not bothered by the cold, I cannot feel it the way a human would, I still missed the comfort; the human part in me missed that.

Lying on a cold, hard stone floor gave me little comfort until I had willed myself to sleep into Peter’s arms. Cornelius could not take away my dreams. I’d call for Peter and sometimes I would hear the words that kept me going, ‘Amelia, I love you,’ but they were becoming harder to hear and I heard them less frequently. ‘I love you too, Peter,’ I’d scream in my head, praying he can hear me. Though I didn’t know how much more of this I could take, how much longer I would be able to resist their food.

Blood and meat might have been the way to destroy me and if it was, maybe I should have no longer abstained and welcomed death, something had to end, and I night I prayed, if I couldn’t be with the one I loved then please let it be me...

One

Peter

MY FIST SLAMMED AGAINST the cold and hard, marble table, glasses lifted at the vibrations and the water inside them splashed everywhere.

A month, I roared. A whole damn month she has been gone and you sit here debating what we can or cannot do. What sort of monsters are you?

Calm down, Peter. Caius, my Angel father, warned in a composed tone. We are fully aware of how long it’s been.

And yet you have done nothing. I accused.

My hands were shaking and my back still burned from the lashes my dear Amelia had suffered the night before. I still felt them every time that whip thrashed against her skin, I felt her pain.

We have been monitoring them, Peter, Nathan added cautiously. He keeps them moving; they have already captured other Humangels. Surely you can see we need to get them to safety also.

"Yes, I do, but all the time he has her, he is winning. I just want her back, we need her, I need her. I stood from the table. I am sorry I lost my temper, I realize this is not your fault, it is mine, but if we are to stop Cornelius then we need to act soon."

I walked out of the room closely followed by my father and his friend Nathan. They had been extremely helpful during that month, but nothing could stop the pain I felt and knowing she was in the hands of the vicious Fallen Angel named Cornelius, it was eating away at my soul.

I had promised Soren, a Danish Humangel and Amelia’s best friend; that I would go and find her, start that day if the Elders would allow me, but they still had not decided on what course of action to take. Amelia and I should have been married by now, but on the morning of our wedding as I crossed the courtyard towards the temple, a man dressed like a Roman Gladiator appeared before me. He glared into my eyes and all I could feel was helpless, he then fire bombed the temple and brought me to my knees in excruciating pain, though he never even laid a finger on me.

Amelia appeared at the door, while the other Fallen Angel soldiers attacked the monks that had helped us, given us a home and Caius my father was being beaten before my eyes, I couldn’t move. I told her to run, but she shook her head. With tears streaming down her face, Cornelius told her to come and find me to get me back and that we would be too dangerous if we were to marry. He then whisked me away in a black, misty haze as we shot up into the clouds. The others followed, well, all except one, I could hear them calling his name as we flew, Leon, they called, but he never came.

Now, of course, Leon sat beside the Elders as if he had never left, his wings were grey, the black had faded, but he was still closely guarded, just in case Cornelius still had some sort of connection to him. His meat craving had subsided and he was doing better than he was when I first arrived back. I spent a week in the Healing Centre in Nurturing, listening to his cries of pain, torn up inside by my own anguish and agony.

I ate meat with Cornelius, it got to a point where I either ate it or starve. If I were to continue fighting him, I needed the strength to do that and although at first it made me vomit, I got used to it and the energy that came from it. Because of the meat, I managed to have Cornelius believe that he owned me and controlled me. He had a way of getting into my head, of making me see things that weren’t real. Say things I didn’t mean and do things I had no real control over.

Returning to the monastery after the meeting, I felt a failure and that I had let them all down. They were Amelia’s friends, William and Soren mostly and they were depending on me getting the go ahead to rescue her. I also felt irritated and wondered if maybe we should go without the help of the Angels. So, after my father and Nathan left, I called a small meeting in my room. Soren, Tony and William arrived and we sat around my room discussing our options.

The fact is though, mate, Tony frowned, his raspy English tones made me miss her more, these Fallen Angels are strong and without the help of the Angels, we do not stand a chance.

I know that, I sighed with a grimace across my face, but what am I supposed to do, sit here and feel her beatings every night? I have to do something.

We know, Peter. William frowned. I saw what Cornelius did to you, only it was on her back. I just wish we could find them.

I have been working with Richard to get the new comers ready, Soren added. Mark, Ronald and Tom are all willing to come with us, if we were to head a rescue mission.

And look where? William frowned. We don’t have a clue, our shifting is getting better, but some of us end up nowhere near where we are meant to be, the Angels can guide us, we need them too.

So, we wait, Soren snapped. Well, when you get some guts, you come and find me, I for one am damned if I am going to sit around much longer. He then stormed out of my room and slammed the door across behind him.

Tony stood and sighed loudly, I had better go and check on him, he can be a funny bugger.

Thanks, I sighed as he left. What do you think we should do? I asked William.

He shrugged, She is a tough girl, Peter, I am sure she will be fine, while we wait for the Elders to decide.

I hope you are right. I said as he left.

Night was coming and I had so much rage inside of me, I couldn’t bring myself to eat. If she did as I did, and refused their food, she would be weak and at some point, as I did, she would give in because her energy levels would make her feel desperate to get it from any source she can. I knew all too well what it felt like to eat that meat after the agony of starvation, to finally get something into your system.

The pain from consuming meat and blood was nothing compared to how much better you would feel having eaten something. After one bite, I could feel the energy serge through my veins, but it wasn’t like the energy I had felt before, this was dark and cold, like ice particles surrounding my heart. After only a few days I could eat a chicken clean, a lamb’s leg to the bone and not even think about it.

When Cornelius took me hunting the Humangels to try and turn them, he thought I was his, and for a while I believed I was. When saw them, fresh faced and sparkly eyes, I decided to wean myself off the meat, I had gained enough trust to be left alone, so I managed to write to Amelia just to let her know I was alright. When Sebastian surrendered to Amelia and the others, Cornelius was furious. He called for me and took the whip to my back. He could tell how weak I already was, so he beat me until I passed out.

I was kneeling on the asphalt road of a small town when I came to. The sun burned down on me and I desperately needed some water, then she appeared, my own Angel of light. I thought that maybe I was dead, that he had killed me and I was finally free of him, but she sacrificed herself and he took her. Now I had to find a way to get her back, with or without the help from the Angels.

When I roused the following morning, the Humangels were assembled in the courtyard. There were thirty-four of us now, an army in our own right. I had learned most of their names and felt ecstatically happy to see Maggie again. Her younger brother, Ezra, followed me everywhere, and Maggie seemed happier to be there this time, free of running away and hiding. I hadn’t gone with Cornelius the day they went to get her, though I felt sad for the fact that her family had died, I was relieved that I wasn’t there. I don’t think I could have faced her if I had been there.

At least she remembered her way to the monastery and they were both safe. Ezra was just weeks away from finally turning eighteen, but that also meant Amelia would be away that much longer too.

The fall was approaching as summer had already begun to wind down although it wasn’t a real fall. The rain came and I swear it rained for two weeks solid. The forest floor where they had begun to build a new village and extend the monastery wall was sinking into the mud, everything just seemed so hopeless.

Sam and Jo were polite, that is the only way I could explain their behaviour around me. Pin hadn’t actually spoken since I had returned, I suppose they blamed me for this mess and the fact that Amelia had been taken prisoner by the Fallen Angels.

I had been called to another meeting with the Elders and once again my father arrived to take me. At least it got me away from their accusing eyes if only for a while. I felt helpless enough without them pointing their fingers and blaming me as well. Once up there though, the scent and the warmth of the place replaced any guilt I felt until the meeting began.

My father informed me that there had been a sighting of Amelia, she was working with them. I didn’t believe him until I came face to face with Roderick, one of Cornelius’ Generals. He was shackled with halo gold chains, looking tired and withdrawn, but as soon as he saw me his face flashed with anger and he was repulsed,

Where is she? I demanded.

Who? he groaned arrogantly.

You know who. I pressed.

She is one of us now, she works at the side of our great leader. You will all die for this, and he will come here and destroy you all, he snarled smugly. I wanted to hit him.

Do you know this lousy waste of air’s name? Nathan asked me cautiously eyeing the prisoner.

This is Roderick, he is Cornelius’ General and I have to say, I am impressed with his capture, how did you get him? I smiled at him. He turned his mouth down. I mean, he is supposed to be his best General. I added smugly.

Joseph and Luke found him at the volcano in Iceland.  Elder Isaac explained. He was sent to check the place out to see if it was safe enough to return to. It seems Cornelius is running out of places to hide. I smiled again, that was some good news, only we had caught him and that meant Cornelius would know that it wasn’t safe.

So, is there any news about Amelia? I frowned.

She has been seen with him, working with him to capture other Humangels... Isaac explained. I am sorry, but maybe we’re too...

Don’t say that, I argued. He’s probably brainwashed her like he did me, but I am guessing she is clever enough to evade his full power. I looked at Roderick and curled my lip over my teeth. So, now you have a choice, you can either lose your wings, or join us.

Never, I choose death. He roared and held his head high.

You would rather die? I frowned.

Yes, he affirmed.

Taken aback momentarily, I then turned to him, Well, that’s the easy way out, I grinned and I took hold of his face between my fingers and squeezed his sweat soaked, stubble covered cheeks. I wish I could sentence you to the pain and torment she has suffered. Then I smiled arrogantly, letting his face go, his sweat made my fingers feel sticky. But then I can. Cut off his wings and cast him back to Cornelius, I ordered. Oh, and while you are there you can give him a message from me. Tell him I am coming for him and when I do, he will die. For the first time since he had arrived, his arrogance wavered and left his face. You understand that cutting your wings off means the only thing you will have left is immortality? I asked and he nodded his head.

Kill me, I beg of you, he pleaded.

Never, I snarled. I am sure though, when you get back to that piece of lort, he’ll have no use for you and kill you himself. I smiled haughtily again and left the room.

I returned to the monastery and was greeted by Soren. He still looked distressed, the weeks of being away from Amelia had taken its toll on us all, but him especially. I told him of Roderick and what we were going to do, or rather the Angels, he agreed that calling Cornelius a piece of lort was justified.

We then trained until our hands bled with our Bo staffs, swords and daggers. I tossed mine on the ground and headed towards my room. Maggie stopped me to show me that she had made us all uniforms, khaki green pants and black tunics. We looked menacing when we were supposed to be the good guys. Though, I didn’t feel much like a good guy, I felt such anger and hatred towards the whole Fallen regime; life had to change, because we were all getting impatient. Nathan had followed me back and was already sat in my room when I got there.

We have removed his wings and we are placing him back at the volcano, he explained.

Well, that’s stupid, he can’t shift back, how will we follow him? I snapped.

On foot, Nathan grimaced. I have sent two Angels after him, Fabian and Christian; they are able to follow with invisibility so they will not be seen. He will lead us right to Amelia.

Only it will take weeks. I frowned and sat on my bed. Sorry, Nathan, I know everyone is doing all they can, but what if she has become one of them?

We will get her back and deal with that too, we got you back, he smiled slightly, but then frowned. Capturing her will be the hardest thing, tracking her, that’s another. She is so heavily guarded by Cornelius, he keeps her at his side and he seems to be infatuated with her.

That gives me no comfort whatsoever. I snapped.

I know, he lowered his eyes. You need to bond with the Humangels, Peter, if you want them to stand with you, to find her. Alienating yourself away from them in here and keeping up this ‘tough guy’ façade, is giving them doubts and it makes you look arrogant.

Fine, I sighed, after I have had a shower, I’ll go mingle with them.

No, it’s more than that, maybe you could help out in the new village or something, rather than over seeing their training, train alongside them.

I have been, well, with William and Soren..., Okay. I replied impatiently. He nodded once and left me alone.

I suppose he was right, I barely knew any of their names, only the few that had been there when I returned, Tony, Soren, Daisy and William, Amber, Esther and Seth the Angel, who never seemed to leave her side. I showered and changed into fresh clothes, taking my anger out on that dummy in the courtyard did get me to work up a sweat.

At lunch, I sat on a table of strangers instead of hiding, Daisy sat beside me. She smiled in her friendly way, but she had the ability to see into the future and when her smile changed to a frown, I frowned also.

How are you, Peter? she asked.

Okay, I replied glumly. Do you like it here, Daisy?

It’s better than hiding in Eden. She admitted and bit her bread. Maria and Suzy are going to share my shack when it’s finished, she added. I frowned and she pointed at the very young Maria with her younger siblings. Agnes and Timmy will come with us too, they are all Humangels, isn’t that great?

Yes, it is, another generation. I agreed and tried to smile, but my mouth wouldn’t move, I picked at my bread.

I know you miss her, Peter, we all do, but I have seen her back here with us, she is returning. She lightly tapped my arm; I felt a little better from her touch.

Thank you, Daisy. I tried to smile again, but I couldn’t share her enthusiasm; I just wanted her back now.

Two more new Humangels sat opposite us and smiled a ‘hello’, I returned the smile and ate some of my soup,

So, do we have a plan yet, Peter? The dark-haired boy asked.

Not yet. I grimaced. I’m sorry, we have not yet met properly, so, you are?

Oh, uh, Markus, but I prefer Mark, easier to hide when your name doesn’t scream where you are from, especially with the pending war and everything.

Another war, I frowned.

Yes, Germany against the rest of the world, he sighed. Silly people, they believe anything they hear, he moaned. We will lose and the next one, I have seen it.

You have? I asked intrigued.

Yes, I get visions of the future, just like Daisy. He explained. Both wars will suffer huge losses for everyone involved and Germany will lose both, he sipped his water. "Still I think our war is more important."

It is, another agreed. I am Ronald and I am from Poland, though I get called Ron here.

It is very nice to meet you, Ron. I smiled slightly.

And you, Peter. Ron smiled again. When Soren told me of Amelia I felt I already knew her, she really must be something. He added, his accent was strong, but his English impeccable.

She doesn’t know how wonderful she is. I sighed and pushed my bowl of vegetable broth away. So, how is the new village coming along? I needed to change the subject.

The rain keeps holding us up. Dr Tom groaned, but we will get it finished.

Of course, we will, mate. Tony added boldly and sat beside them. We wouldn’t let a drop of rain stop us. In England, we get rain for months on end, but we keep going, we ‘ave no choice. He added. I listened as they talked and offered my assistance. No offence, Tony smiled, but that would be like making Nathan and Caius help us. He looked around at the others and they nodded their heads. You are our leader now, we wouldn’t expect you...

I am not a leader, Tony, I groaned, you are here of your own accord, no one makes you stay or fight this war, any of you can leave whenever you wish.

Never, Soren snapped. We have to find Amelia, she helped us, she needs us. He looked around the dining room as it silenced. Peter is Amelia’s betrothed, all peace and humanity depends on their marriage and we are going to ensure she is rescued so that we can live in peace and no longer have to hide. He turned to me. We are all in this with you, Peter, all of us.

Even me, Timmy added.

Soren continued, Before Amelia gave us a purpose, we roamed this planet looking for something to do; now we are actually doing something. We are building a community and for the first time since I turned eighteen, I feel I belong somewhere.

We all do, mate, Tony smiled.

Well, in that case, I announced and stood, It’s high time we got our behinds into action and try and find her because I for one am sick of Cornelius.

At last, Tony smiled clapping his hands together, the others all joined in. It made me blush, but more determined than ever to get a go ahead from Isaac and the Elders.

Two

Amelia

THEY HAVE REMOVED RODERICK’S wings, Sir. Rathbone sighed, Clintoff is bringing him in.

Nathaniel, he snarled and looked at me. It seems they’ll stop at nothing.

That’s their problem, I shrugged.

Our enemies, as he kept calling them, were capturing us and cutting off the wings of those who refused to join them. I didn’t have my wings yet, though Cornelius had promised they would arrive any day. I didn’t feel the twitch in my back that told me they were coming. But the cuts from the last whipping were barely healed when he took the whip to me again, how could any wings sprout from the lashes across my back that bled every day?

Cornelius said he had to, that this would let them know I was under his control. Of course, I was, to him. He fed me and after he explained how the Angels and the Humangels were only using me, part of me felt that perhaps my heart had been lied to. Maybe Peter didn’t love me because he wanted to, he had to love me because he was told to, which was no different to how William felt about me.

After the first month ended, I gave in to the hunger that I felt had become the only thing that I had control of anymore. The beatings came nightly, though the advances from the Fallen Soldiers stopped. They seemed to get the same satisfaction out of hitting me as they would have by raping me. I remembered Caius, Peter’s father, giving me the crucifix pendant that somehow kept them away from me, but after that first month I hid it in the cave I now dwelled in and there it stayed with my mother’s pendant and Peter’s ring.  

Cornelius appeared to know everything, my thoughts, anything that entered my head, but my feelings I hid from him, because if he knew the truth he would have just cut off my head. So, they remained buried, I had to shut them down as he could tell if I was lying, so it was easier to close it all off. Build a wall up so he couldn’t see the truth, and that was easier for me to ignore also.

This was my life now, a new life of slavery and pain. I no longer felt the need to help anyone, that had been beaten out of me. The energy I felt from the meat overwhelmed me, I could now understand why Leon was so desperate for some. They had lied to me there also, it wasn’t harmful to my system, in fact, it gave me the feeling that I could smash through rock, run up a mountain without needing a breath and I was indeed invincible. Well, until he whipped me again, then I’d be reduced to a snivelling pile of nothing, shivering from the cold and the pain.

We were waiting for Roderick to return with the news that the volcano was safe. We had nowhere else to go, but when we learned they had captured him it shocked us to hear he was walking back to us, even though he knew he would be of no use now without his powers, he still felt loyalty towards our cause. He and Cornelius had been friends since it all began and I could sense their closeness, it almost felt human.

After the meeting, I returned to my cave, that’s where I could be myself, I would allow the thoughts I had blocked out of Peter, Nathan and of my father’s death, surround me. I missed them, when I was alone I allowed myself to miss them. The lies they had fed me were pushed to the back of my mind and I allowed the happy memories to come out of their locked chamber. Only this night I was not alone in my thoughts, Peter was thinking of me too, I could feel it, almost tasting him in the air. Our last kiss still lingered even after all of these weeks. I curled up into a ball on the floor of my cave and let the power of the crucifix take me into his arms.

My conflict would begin again the following morning when I had to shut it all away and bring the cold-hearted Amelia forward. It took about half of an hour to fight the feelings back into that chamber at the back of my heart. Sometimes it was agony to hide it all again, bring her out, the one that hated everyone back there. Who believed the lies they fed me. Who enjoyed the meat, who followed him? I hated him and to fight those feelings took almost all of my energy.

Amelia! He roared. Fear drenched my soul, had he found out? Could he feel my thoughts even in the protection of my own domicile? I took the deepest of breaths; let hatred for the Humangels fog up my eyes and left my cave.

I found him in his chamber, draped over his chair, he looked troubled.

You were supposed to be here an hour ago, he growled.

I am sorry, Sir. I muttered.