Supernatural: The Infernal Book

Pale Moonlight

The clearing went silent as whatever crept through the adjacent forest came to a standstill. Ryder held his own, his heart pounding mercilessly as he stared into the inky darkness beyond the trees. The air sizzled with power. It vibrated and hummed along his skin, taunting him with whatever unseen danger lurked so near. His entire body tensed up as he prepared for the worst.

Then came the sound of footsteps.

Raising his gun, Ryder aimed at the darkness among the trees as one shadow began to slowly separate itself rim the rest. Tall, regal and certain of their movements, the figure entered the pale moonlight, exposing itself.

"That's close enough," Ryder called out.

"After all this time, I would think you'd be happier to see me."

Ryder's chest tightened and his extremities felt like they were dissolving. Standing there- barefoot and dressed in a flowing, gossamer gown- was a woman Ryder had seen hundreds of times in family photos. Tall, statuesque, and I possession of bold and intrepid features, Ariadne Remington stood at the edge of the clearing. Her raven hair swirled as a breeze swept it away from her queenly face and long neck, leaving absolutely no room for doubt as to who she was.

Time for phase two.

"I can't believe this," Ryder gasped as he slowly lowered the gun. "It's you...it's really you."

Ariadne smiled as a strange aura of confident power seeped out of her body and surrounded her in its haze. "You've been searching for me?"

Ryder shook his head as he struggled to find his voice. "Not at first. After...after you left they told me you didn't want me. And, for the longest time I believed it."

"But..."

Ryder felt the hot sting of tears as they began to spill down his cheeks. "But there's been this empty space inside me for so long. I tried to fill it but I never could." Ryder reached up  with a shaky hand to wipe the tears away.

"Leaving you was the hardest decision of my life," Ariadne said before taking a few steps closer. "But...you were raised by your father and his kin. Surely you've been...indoctrinated into their cause. Surely I am someone you see as an enemy?"

Ryder dug deep, summoning any ounce of deception he may have inherited from his mother. "At first I did," he admitted. "But...the more I thought about it. About how...alone I am...the more I realized that I need to know you."

Ariadne's lips curled into a benevolent smile. "Of course you do. Your blood calls to you. How could it not?"

Ryder trembled in the chill of the night.

"You came alone?"

"I don't think I was followed," Ryder calmly explained. "But they'll have noticed my absence soon. We...can't linger."

Ariadne marched forward. "Of course we can't. Especially since you've brought the Infernal Key with you."

"We need to hurry," Ryder said, his voice filled with urgency.

Ariadne lifted a brow. "So eager to give over the prize that your kind have spent centuries protecting? Why?"

Ryder smelled her suspicion. He knew this would happen. They all did.

"Because I'm tired of being alone," Ryder confessed. He didn't even need to pretend because it was true. Rekindling his relationship with Miles, along with whatever was happening between himself and Dean had shown him that much. He was tired of being alone. Tired of allowing himself to run and avoid connections with people.