Immortally Yours, An Urban Fantasy Romance (Monster MASH, Book 1) Read Free Page B

was I saying? He did die.  
    "Clamp," I said automatically, numb from shock. I worked on his chest wound first, checking to make sure the vital organs were intact, cutting away the tissue burned black with poison, stitching the muscle and flesh and skin back together.  
    Focus on the task at hand.  
    Don't think about what just happened.
    Because it scared the hell out of me.  

Chapter Two

    I burst out of the OR without even bothering to rip the plastic covers from my military boots and nearly tripped as the stifling heat of limbo hit me square in the face.  
    Yanking off my surgical mask, I used it to wipe at the sweat that was already beading on my forehead. Steam rose off the ground as the heat from Hades burned off the last traces of an early-morning rain.  
    I'd saved Galen of Delphi.  
    He'd live, with no lasting complications from the poison or the knife that had almost killed him.  
    But at what price?  
    Would he remember what I did?  
    I knew I'd never forget.  
    A bone-deep shiver nearly sliced me in half. What if Galen of Delphi decided to come after me? The desert vistas of limbo left absolutely nowhere to hide.  
    I jumped as an EMT bounded up next to me. "Nice work in there, Doc." It was the sandy-haired ambulance driver who had held the legs.  
    "Thanks," I said. I kept my face neutral and my mouth shut. If anyone asked anything, I'd deny it. Sure, I may have acted funny, but no one else would have been able to see the spirit. I'd saved Commander Galen's life. End of story.  
    Now I just had to hope and pray that he wouldn't remember.  
    A wide desert stretched beyond the tents of our MASH unit, the bare, red landscape littered with rock. My stomach tightened as I focused on a spot where palm trees clustered. Colorful birds dived among that narrow strip of paradise.  
    The tropical gardens bloomed over hell vents, tempting the foolish.  
    Gods. They tempted me. A long drop into hell seemed a lot more pleasant than answering for what just happened.  
    I'd never forget the way Commander Galen had looked at me—so ardent, so powerful. So achingly alone. I knew how he felt. At least when it came to being by myself in a crowd.  
    Loneliness was simply a part of war.  
    It was something I'd learned to accept. It shouldn't even bother me anymore.  
    Shake it off.  
    The ambulance driver had fallen into step at my side. "Are you okay, Doc?"  
    "No," I said, taking a hard right, making my way for my tent.  
    My mentor in medical school had had the gift. He'd sensed it in me and sought me out. Dr. Levi believed it was a blessing to connect with recently deceased patients. He'd even helped some cross. But he'd been careless. The gods discovered him.  
    Goose bumps skittered up my arms when I thought about what they did to him.  
    I wondered if the gods would have been so vengeful if it weren't for the prophecy attached to this particular gift.  
    Then again, if doubts were donuts, we'd all have a Krispy Kreme hangover.  
    I suddenly felt very tired.  
    No wonder. We'd been in surgery for almost ten hours. I squinted against the twin suns of the in-between worlds. Our MASH unit had been on this blighted spot for nearly a year, long enough for us to set up regular supply routes, postal service, and badminton courts on the edge of the tar swamp. In retrospect, that might not have been the best idea.  
    Ambulance workers in maroon jumpsuits unloaded boxes of medical supplies into the triage locker while a maintenance worker hummed "Puttin' on the Ritz" as he raked fresh dirt over spilled blood. I wondered just how long he'd been with us.  
    I nodded as I passed them and resisted the urge to check on a few patients in the recovery tent. If I could, I would have kept going until I made it back to New Orleans.  
    Ah, what I'd give for a plate of Dad's boudoin balls, served up crispy and hot with a side of crawfish étouffée .  
    Instead, I reached in my pocket for a half-eaten Power-Bar and