Demon Hunter 5

The Blackwing peeled off the wall, the carcass falling to the ground. Blood flowed freely from the thing's stomach made a puddle all around him. As the souls floated to Heaven, Dillon's face appeared in front of Bob's. Because he couldn't stop, Dillon's soul floated up.

Ashley rushed to Rich's side, holding his head in her lap, trying to think of any way she could help. "Rich... what should I do?" she whispered as a tear escaped her eye.

"You can't help me now. I'm going to die." His voice was unusually calm. His hand disappeared into his shirt and reappeared with a folded piece of paper. "Give this to John. Don't read it-it's very personal. Promise me."

Ashley gently took the folded paper out of his hand. "I promise."

With a nod and a light smile, Rich passed on to the next life.

Bob's eyes turned from red to white, and then back to their original color. He turned to see the others staring at him, open-mouthed. He fell to his knees crying and everything went hazy.

Bob vaguely remembered being carried out on Jeff's shoulder while the other two managed carry the chest along with Rich and Dillon.

Then everything went black.

The four remaining Hunters walked away from the double gravesites behind the church.

Silently, they shuffled into the church and kneeled in front of the cross. All said a short prayer; wishing Dillon and Rich a safe journey to Heaven, saying goodbye in their own way.

Jeff was the first to get up, trace the sign of the cross, and shuffle downstairs. His muscles still rippled with hate even now, two days after the fight with Jaquel. He sat down heavily on one of the old, handcrafted wooden chair. The others followed soon, and Ashley sat beside Jeff, slipping her hand into his.

Alex stood behind Bob's chair. She rested a hand on his shoulder, and Bob reached for it. It was a solemn for all of them, and both Bob and Jeff needed some comfort.

Rich had been the closest thing to a father Jeff had ever experienced, and the best teacher he had ever learned from.

Bob had also been close friends with Rich, but he was not as close to Rich as he had been with his brother. The thought that they were either in or on their way to Heaven comforted the two.

Jeff, Ashley, and Bob stood. They were all sad and mourning, but there was one thing left to do. Bob shuffled to a corner of the basement where the Hunters had stacked the weapons and picked up his brother's hand blades. He fitted one on each hand and walked back to the chest.

With a slice from each fist, the lock came apart and the lid fell off.

Bob reached inside and pulled out a velvet sack that had the heavy shape of a sphere rounding out the bottom. He pulled apart the sack lid, making the white string disappear into the rim of the sack. He reached inside and pulled out a glowing black orb. Liquid-looking purple waves rippled in and out of view.

"Well," Bob started, "At least they didn't die in vain." He slipped the Pearl into the bag and started putting on his gear.

Jeff pulled on his vest and pads. "We got what came for." He picked up his spear and hefted it onto his shoulder. "Let's go home."

END OF BOOK ONE