Page 17 of Midwinter Night's Prince

All right, it worked a little. She didn't have to show it, though.

Blairshrugged, pretending to be apathetic to his tantrum. "I told you I wanted to know about you. If you hadn't been so tight-lipped, I wouldn't be here."

It was a gamble, but outright asking him had gotten her nowhere. He could tell her Olympus had nothing to do with him. Blair waited, eager, desperate for that reassurance.

He didn't give it.

"Ask what you want. I'll tell you. Then get the hell out of the country—better yet, the continent."

So she had been right. He was an Olympian. Or the son of one, at least.

There was a sort of relief in knowing for certain, horrifying as the prospect was. Not to mention, Blair didn't think she'd ever seen Seth angry before. It was rather entertaining. Used to indifference, he clearly didn't quite know what to do with his feelings. Mostly, he was grimacing and showing fangs.

How tempting. But if he was this desperate for her to go, then she must be close to discovering something he didn't want anyone to know. A weakness. A weapon.

"I think I'll pass. It's been a while since I had a chance to hike." Mostly because she hated hiking—and camping. No need to share that detail, though.

"Blair, there are worse things than Aveka who can reach you where you are." He spoke very slowly, enunciating each word clearly. "Things that do not travel anywhere else in the world. If they sense part of me inside you, they could take you, and make you beg for death for the rest of time. You understand?"

She felt only slightly less smug. "Things like the Greek gods?" She lifted an imperious brow. "They've all left Earth, everyone knows that."

Seth chuckled humorlessly. "Then how do you think I was born?"

Oh.

Well, he might have a point.

"There's a portal on Mount Olympus. Part of the territory doesn't quite belong to this world. You could get pulled into the immortal realm. And though the gods can't cross, some oftheir servants are able to endure the journey. I wouldn't recommend getting captured by one of those either. Get up and get off of that mountain right now."

It sounded an awful lot like an order. Blair bristled and straightened her spine. "No."

A huff escaped Seth's mouth before he took one step, then one more to close the distance between them. "No?"

"No. Not until you give me answers. My being here is the only thing that seems to loosen your tongue. If you want me to leave, get talking. Who are you?"

She had him, she could feel it, almost taste it on her tongue.

"I am Seth Stormhale.Piacere, bella."

Blair had no answer. She blinked, for perhaps a minute or two after the words had crossed his lips.

Italian. He was speaking Italian, while looking deep into her eyes and smirking.

That wasn't fucking fair.

"Piace-what?"

"It means it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." His tongue rolled over the word “pleasure,” caressing it.

"All of that in one word?"

He shrugged. "We're more efficient than you lot with our tongues."

"You can't seduce me into compliance, asshole." She pushed against his chest, and to her surprise, it felt solid under her palm. How? This was just a dream. "You're not that pretty."

He was. Hesowas.

"If I ever seduce you, you'll know it,strega. You're not getting anything from me until you're off this mountain." He paused. "And keep moving. There's been a change in our hunting party. We're getting closer. Don't use magic if you can help it."

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