Chapter five

"Dearest, wake up its morning!" Vulcan said as he nuzzled his wife's neck and jawline.

"Five more minutes my love, you wore me out last night." Venus replied.

"Well you asked for punishment so…" Vulcan said as he kissed his way down her back.

"That I did and I see that I have taught you well. Care for a quickie before I go? I believe the shower would be a nice place for it." Venus asked.

"Most definitely. You know nothing gets me hard faster than seeing the hot water running down your body. Come on sleepyhead I'll make it easy on you by carrying you to the shower." He said as he scooped her up in his powerful arms.

"Flash us there, I need you now." Venus said huskily.

"Your wish is my command."

After an eventful shower Venus kissed her husband goodbye and flashed back to Buda.

"So chief how's the avoidance going?" Venus asked as she appeared on Torin's bed wearing a naughty little catholic school girl's outfit.

"Terrible, everytime I switch to a different monitor a few seconds later Cameo appears in that room. It's like she somehow knows which one I'm looking at." Torin said.

"Maybe she does. It could mean her love for you has caused a deep connection and she can sense which one is next on your search." Venus replied.

"Did you tell her which ones or did you use your powers to make this happen?" Torin half growled.

"Neither. I did want to let you know that I'm about to have a chat with your precious jewel so the next two days of avoidance is going to be very difficult on you. I don't want to do it but I will use my powers to make sure you can't get out of this room if need be. She needs a boost to her ego while you need to realize what you're on the verge of losing if you don't act soon so… With that said the security system is back on autopilot. You can watch but can't do anything or say anything to anyone." Venus said with a wave of her hand.

"That's not fair!" Torin yelled.

"All is fair in love and war chief. Later gator." Venus said before disappearing.

Cameo was sitting quietly in the living room watching Reyes and Gideon playing video games. She wished she could join in but not only did her voice make everyone want to cry but sometimes when they looked at her they could see that she was on the verge of tears and she hated there pity. Just as soon as Reyes asked if she wanted to play his turn Venus appeared and said that Cameo was needed elsewhere. Reyes and Gideon quickly tried to hide their instant arousal for the goddess in the school girl outfit but it didn't quite work. "Down boys, I'm taken as well as the two of you. Dani dear is getting good with the blades so watch yourself Pain and Lies my sweet, I hate to see Nightmares torturing your dreams again. I have to agree they are nasty little things aren't they now."

Great! Maybe Venus was able to talk some sense into him. Maybe he wants to apologize and finally let me touch him. I wonder if his skin is as soft and warm as I imagine it to be. I wonder if he would be a gentle or fierce lover. I wonder…

"I see that longing in your eyes Jewel. You're not going to see Torin this instant, actually you are going to give him the cold shoulder for two days." Venus said.

"Two days? Why?" Cameo cried.

"Oh you poor poor thing, that voice is the first thing I'm going to fix. Love is on your side and I believe you have suffered long enough. The other Lords have been given control of their demons so you should have some too. Come with me." Venus said leading the way back up the stairs to Cameo's room.

As they entered Cameo's room Venus again was taken aback. Purple was definitely the theme here. "Has Torin been in your room?" Venus asked.

"No no one has." Cameo replied.

"Does he have a camera in here?" Venus asked.

"Hell no! I don't do peep shows!" Cameo growled.

"Ouch, okay for the next few minutes I need you to write down your comment, sign it or just nod and shake your head!" Venus said while rubbing her temples.

Cameo knew that look and quickly nodded her head and kept her mouth shut.

"Now let's see the voice, I believe I like the tenor of it. It's deep enough to be sultry and seductive yet still feminine we just need to remove the despair. Come here Jewel, I need to touch you for it to work." Venus commanded.

Cameo quickly signed a question while walking towards Venus. Why do you call me Jewel?

Venus let out a quick laugh and said 'you and Torin are a lot alike, he also asked why I call him Chief'. "It's what your name means in Italian, Sculptured Jewel." Venus answered.

Torin's name means Chief? "Uh huh, it's Irish."

"Okay, this may burn a little and we will definitely need to get you some wine to drink but all will work out for the best. I promise." Venus said.

O-okay, I'm ready.

"Magic old and magic strong, the Goddess of Love commands you now. This warrior in front of me is strong and true, housed with a Demon Lord for a crime committed thousands of years ago. It is time to end her punishment and free her voice. With the power of love I give her back control of her voice, it is no longer a possession of the Demon Misery." Venus stated while placing her hand on Cameo's throat.

The air felt alive and full of power, Cameo felt it blowing through her hair. She thought that nothing would come of this experience except more despair when a small tickling sensation started to form in her throat. She almost started coughing but then the tickling grew and started to warm her from the inside out. With that her throat felt like it was as dry as the Sahara and she desperately wanted that glass of wine that Venus had mentioned. It was starting to burn now and she wondered just how bad the burn would get. Instantly she knew, she let out a scream that was both her and the demon combined and the scream actually cracked a crystal vase on one of the shelves by the door. She fell to the floor and quickly Venus knelt down and whispered to her that it is all over and to open her eyes and take a drink.

Cameo opened her tear-filled eyes and saw a large goblet of red wine and drank it greedily. As she swallowed the last bit she managed to whisper that she wanted more but her voice was hoarse. "I'm sorry Jewel I didn't catch that you please speak up." Venus said sarcastically.

As Cameo stood up she said, 'I asked if I could get another glass of wine'. And then she suddenly realized that her voice was no longer sad and tortured. "My voice, it's it's –" She stuttered.

"Wonderful, I know just like I thought it would be. Here's another goblet. Now let's find you something sexy yet still warriorish because you are about to meet the Lords, so to speak." Venus completed as she eyed Cameo perfectly athletic build.

Together Venus and Cameo walked out of her room and were instantly greeted by Ashlyn and Maddox. "What was that sound it was awful?" Ashlyn cried.

"Cameo can answer that one for you." Venus said as she gave her a nudge and a wink.

"It it was me, I screamed!" Cameo whispered.

"Cameo dearest, your voice it's different. It's wow, I can't quite place it. Maddox what's the word I'm looking for?" Ashlyn questioned.

"Normal yet seductive. No longer dripping with sadness." Maddox stoicly answered.

"Maddox, her voice is beautiful not normal." Ashlyn corrected.

"See and you were worried they wouldn't like it. Now let's find us a room full of as many hulking Lords as we can find and do a little torturing of the male species." Venus said as she flashed them on a room by room search.

The rest of the day was excruciating for Torin. He could hear her voice and wanted so badly to tell her that he loved her and wanted to be with her for eternity. At one point when Paris nearly kissed Cameo he tried to leave the room but Venus did something to the door and it zapped him knocking him off of his feet. He suffered through watching everyone else enjoy her presence until the middle of the night before he couldn't take it anymore. Venus had long since left the fortress but he had hoped that he could summon her like he did Cronus. He wanted so badly to leave his room. "Venus, goddess of love, I beseech you. Please I need to talk to her. I need to leave this room." He commanded.

Nothing.

"Venus, please I can't take it anymore. I wanted to hold her, love her. I want to just be able to be in the same room as her." Torin cried out to air.

"Hey there Chief! Took you long enough to break down." Venus' voice came from all around him.

"Venus where are you? I can't see you. Please let me out of this room." Torin pleaded.

"She is quite indisposed at the moment, be thankful I let her answer your call." Said a very masculine voice.

"Husband don't scare off my charge. Give me a moment Chief and I'll be right there." Venus replied.

"O-okay." Torin stuttered.

Although it was only about 5 minutes before she appeared it felt like hours for Torin as he watched Cameo laugh and joke and play games with the other lords in the entertainment room.

"Now Chief, what can I do you for?" Venus said.

As Torin spun around to plead to Venus about letting him out of the room his eyes widened in fear and shock as he focused on the enormous muscled and bronze dark figure behind Venus lovingly holding her close to his bare chest.

"Is that who I think it is?" Torin asked.

"Pay no attention to the overprotective deity behind me. He's just pissed off that you interrupted number four was it, Vulcan my love." Venus said.

"Five my sweet, and he better hurry up with his request and their happily ever after because I plan on not letting you out of my sight for about 5 days to make up for this intrusion." Vulcan replied.

"I'm so sorry I should have known with you being the Goddess of Love and all that…" Torin started to say before Venus waved him off.

"You wanted out of your room and off punishment right? Fine, but what are you planning on saying to her to keep her in your life and possibly bed." Venus asked.

"I have no idea. But I remembered your advice, I'll speak my heart and let her decide what she wants. I just hope she doesn't regret it being stuck with only me for the rest of eternity." Torin said.

"Vulcan my love, please may I help him like I helped his Jewel?" Venus pleaded.

"But it will drain you of much of your strength causing me to have to wait until you are healed." Vulcan nearly cried the words.

"I'll make it worth your while, 10 instead of 5 days and my only request is that one day is of my choosing. Please oh please oh please! I'll add in any outfits you want me in! He needs and deserves this! Even Zeus would agree with me on this." Venus pleaded.

"Any outfits?" Vulcan asked.

"I'm giving you carte blanche! So, do we have a deal?" Venus said with one eyebrow raised and a wicked grin on her face.

"Ugh woman you don't play fair! Deal." Vulcan said with a heavy sigh.

Torin still had a confused look on his face and wasn't sure if this was all a dream but he patiently waited for their bargain to be sealed.

"Okay Chief here's the situation, Love used her magic to fix your Jewel's voice and now she's going to do the same with your skin!" Venus informed him.

"What? You can do that? But won't it mean that you won't be able to touch another without spreading Disease?" Torin asked.

"No silly rabbit, I am a goddess and because of the power of love am at times stronger than Zeus. I was not created by or born of a god or goddess. I just happened into existence." Venus said. "Now let's get this party started. You need to come closer, I have to touch your skin for it to work."