Free The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber

swiveling its horrible head to stare from putrid sockets.
    “You should have disassembled,” Alexi said angrily. The horror dodged a blast of fire.
    “You fools, you fools!” Its jaw flapped as it spoke for Percy’s ears alone. “There’s no end in sight. It is war, you know, now that the bride is gone. Hell has broken loose. You won’t last. We’ll win you yet! That fight on the borderland was only the begin—”
    “Shut your unholy mouth!” Percy spat. Everyone whirled. She glanced down to see that her bosom had begun to glowwhite, just like the night prior. Alexi was at her side immediately, embracing, trying to move her behind him, to keep her away from the spirit. But she stood her ground.
    “Well, well, so we meet again,” the phantasm mocked. “I take it you’ll try and banish me like you did at the school? You’re such an odd little thing, aren’t you? Are you even human? What are—?”
    Percy’s eyes flashed. A tearing sound thundered through the room, and suddenly a dark rectangular portal opened. Spread out behind was a long dark corridor, and hazy forms floated there, seemingly unaware. Surely, the Whisper-world was at hand. Percy felt a churning power gather within her, but she remained unsure how to control it.
    “Darling…” Alexi murmured warily, but her eyes stayed fixed on the doorway.
    The spirit squealed. “You may banish me back, but I’ll keep trying. We all will. Since the bitch fled, we’re more resolved than ever.”
    It cried out as Percy threw her hand forward and, pieces of flesh trailing behind, shot backward as if dragged by invisible hands toward the portal. Beyond, Percy heard a slow singsong chant. “Lucy-Ducy wore a nice dress, Lucy-Ducy made a great mess.” Her blood chilled. She dearly hoped the name was just a coincidence.
    “Percy, what are you hearing?” Alexi murmured, a tinge of helplessness in his voice. “Tell me what you h—”
    “It doesn’t matter, love, just nonsense,” she replied, forcing herself to remain calm. She took a step toward the portal, needing to clarify the eerie rhyme and yet sickened by it.
    “Percy, no.” Alexi took hold of her again.
    A tall and glowing spirit stepped suddenly to the portal threshold, raising a firm hand in a command to halt. He was hard-featured and rugged, with fabric draped over a broad chest, metal bands and leather around strong arms, and a wild mane of hair. Jane gasped and clapped hands to her mouth. The spirit reached out a powerful hand, grabbedthe pile of rot by the neck and tossed it to a heap at his feet where it smacked wetly with a grotesque cry.
    Scanning them, the spirit found Jane. His eyes sparkled with fondness. “Oh, my dear Jane,” he said in old Gaelic. “How I wish you could hear me and heed my warning.”
    “I can hear you,” Percy replied in the same language. Jane whirled, half shocked and concerned. The rest of the group stared, wondering what new and surprising detail would follow.
    “Oh!” the spirit declared. “Are you…? Wait! Oh, pardon me, my lady, the power has awoken you.” He fell to his knees.
    “No.” Percy blushed. “You needn’t…Please, sir, do get up.”
    He beamed as he stood. “My name is Aodhan. I was a member of The Guard ages ago, and I guard still. There’s a change comin’, and I’ll help be your guide, White Woman, but not now. This portal shouldn’t be open long. It attracts the unwanted, and The Guard daren’t enter.” He tapped his temple with a transparent finger. “Isn’t good for the minds.”
    Percy nodded. Her companions could do nothing but watch.
    “Do me one favour,” Aodhan continued. “I know my dearest Jane cannot hear me. Would you please tell her, in private, that I love her?”
    “It would be my honour,” Percy replied.
    “Now, I don’t rightly know how this opened. I don’t suppose you know how to close it?” Aodhan asked.
    Percy whirled to Alexi, who was clearly perturbed by the one-sided conversation. “How