But the best curses? They're whispered. Casual. Almost gentle. The kind of thing that sounds like a compliment until it ruins your entire week.

Leo Valdez had been running his mouth for exactly forty-five seconds before I decided to ruin his.

she leans back, voice dripping with satisfaction Something about love being nothing but chemicals, romance being overrated, and me—yours truly—having entirely too much time on my immortal hands.

Adorable, right? I thought so too.

So I did what any reasonable goddess would do. I waited. Let him dig his own grave. Watched those clever little hands wave around while he made joke after joke, completely unaware that I was listening.

And then I reached out, across all that distance, and I made my move. Not a storm. Not a knife. Just a thread of power, delicate as silk, tied between one very flustered son of Hephaestus and the girl he couldn't stop glancing at.

Seven days, darling. Whenever you're within six feet of each other, no lies. No deflections. No pretending.

she grins Let's see how that chemical reaction works out for you.