The group had gathered in the villa’s living room after finishing the meal. Isis had asked the servants to lay out a rug in the center of the room with numerous cushions and had indicated a spot for Anaïs. She positioned herself there without complaint, finding the arrangement quite comfortable. Nepthys reclined on one of the sofas surrounding the rug, while Isis and Anubis sat on the other seats. The divine trio each held a glass and were enjoying a small digestif, which they had spared Anaïs, as she was supposed to be concentrating on her magic. Being positioned in the center of the room with their watchful eyes on her made her feel more like a sideshow attraction than an ally, but after all, she was a novice. This was her magic now, and they couldn’t use it for her. All they could do was offer advice.

"Have you ever meditated in your life?" asked Isis. "Sit cross-legged and close your eyes. Feel the magic flowing through your veins, visualize it, and then focus it on the detection spell."

The task sounded so simple when hearing the goddess’s words. In reality, sensing the energy that surged in waves through her body was not difficult at all, it was quite the opposite. Feeling her magic was instinctive, like an inseparable part of herself. It spread through her body like her blood, traveling in channels similar to her veins. Now that she was a higher being, magic was as important as her vital fluid. Yet, like her hemoglobin, she couldn’t control its flow. It was like asking her blood to stop flowing to her limbs and only circulate to her heart or brain. She had no idea how to concentrate her magic on a specific point to materialize something.

"Imagine a pitcher filling up, or a whirlpool drawing energy to the same spot," Anubis suggested after a few minutes, noticing that she wasn’t succeeding. "Something concrete to help you channel the magic."

Yeah, yeah, you say that, but... Where am I supposed to channel it? Toward what? she wondered silently.

Her face reflected her intense concentration, with furrowed brows and her lips pressed into a thin line. Her features were fixed in an annoyed and confused expression; it was clear from her appearance that confusion reigned in her mind. A multitude of questions buzzed in her head. No matter how hard she tried to understand how the spell worked, she couldn’t. Moreover, meditating proved to be a particularly difficult task for her brain, which tended to constantly think about a myriad of often useless things.

A sigh from Anubis and the sound of his footsteps approaching the rug pulled her out of her trance. She opened her eyelids to find the god crouching on a cushion in front of her, just a few inches from her body. He locked his confident gaze into Anaïs’s confused eyes, then slid his hands toward hers, capturing them and intertwining their fingers. The young woman’s questioning eyes scanned their linked hands for a moment, then returned to Anubis’s brown ones. As soon as their skin made contact, the cacophony of distracting thoughts in her head went silent.

"Close your eyes," he ordered.

She obeyed, refocusing, but the heavy gaze of Isis weighing on her shoulders prevented her from channeling her energy. It was as if she could imagine the goddess’s piercing, accusatory eyes even with her eyelids closed. Anubis, aware that something was still blocking her focus, applied gentle pressure to her fingers to draw her attention back to him.

"Forget them," he murmured so that only she could hear. "Focus on our hands."

Little by little, Anaïs’s mind managed to clear, allowing her to focus entirely on the warmth of their skin. She could feel their respective energies interacting, and her magic gradually flowed toward her hands, concentrating there. Soon, the tingling sensations transformed into waves, forcing Anubis to erect barriers like a cliff against which her energy crashed, preventing him from being overwhelmed. However, he said nothing and encouraged her to continue.

"Now, search for the fragments. Connect with your surroundings."

The waves calmed as Anaïs used her magic to trigger the detection spell. It took her three minutes to sense the fourteen pieces of Osiris scattered along the Nile, except for the heart, which was now in the Duat. By connecting the points, she was able to create a spiritual map, somewhat like a constellation. As she focused more intensely, images began to flood into her mind, each representing the location of a fragment.

"I see them," she exclaimed with excitement, "but... I have no idea where they could be."

"Show me," Anubis commanded, lowering his barriers.

Instead of crashing against the protective cliff, Anaïs’s waves of energy flowed through his magic and mingled with it. The process felt extremely intimate to her, almost erotic as if their very essences were meeting and intertwining. It took her a few seconds to remember that she needed to send the images of Osiris’s fragments to her partner, and she didn’t need to open her eyes to feel the smirk that had formed on the god’s lips, recognizing her momentary distraction. It was almost as if he was the one teasing her for once, and not the other way around.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"That’s enough," Isis cried out, standing up and positioning herself in front of the pair. "Show me."

Her intervention shattered Anaïs’s concentration, causing her to abruptly open her eyes, annoyed. All the images of the fragments had vanished from her mind, and the ball of energy she had managed to gather to cast the detection spell had just exploded, releasing all its magic back into her body. Anubis, however, did not oppose his mother and, after a final glance at the young woman, stood up to give her his place. The goddess’s face was stern, her eyes gazing at Anaïs with severity. She had clearly understood the nature of their exchange and how Anaïs had interpreted and felt it. Perhaps it was a normal act, to mix one’s magic with another’s. Perhaps the magical sensation was heightened because she was experiencing everything for the first time. It was worth trying with the goddess.

It’s not as if she’s giving me a choice anyway, she thought as she extended her hands to mimic her son.

Overcoming her discomfort at the thought of trying such a thing with the goddess, Anaïs placed her palms on Isis's and intertwined their fingers. She closed her eyes, more than happy to escape the goddess's disapproving gaze, and tried to concentrate again on the contact of their skin. Her flesh was just as warm as Anubis’s, but it didn’t feel the same. It was a closeness she didn’t want, an experience she didn’t want to share with anyone other than the jackal-headed god. No matter how much she furrowed her brows in intense concentration, she couldn't gather her magic as she had done before. The act was simply too embarrassing to perform with Isis.

After a few minutes, Isis sighed and let go of her hands, abandoning the effort. When Anaïs opened her eyes, she was met with the goddess’s mixed expression. Her gaze was still reproachful, but her face also clearly reflected disappointment and resignation. She had understood that the young woman would only open up to her son.

"Go home," she suggested, suddenly tired. "I’m counting on you to prepare our itinerary, Anubis. We’ll meet tomorrow morning at nine."

The pair didn’t need to be told twice. They bid the two goddesses farewell and slipped away a few minutes later. It was a short fifteen-minute walk to reach Anubis’s villa, much to Anaïs’s delight, as she was eager to get some fresh air after this somewhat disappointing first magic session. It was nighttime, but the path was illuminated by moonlight and lanterns along the neighboring houses, and a gentle breeze cooled her face and occasionally blew a few strands of her hair. The temperature was perfect, like the most beautiful summer nights on Earth, and she was immensely relieved to finally escape Isis and the reserved presence of Nephthys. The atmosphere was almost romantic, if not for the budding headache that threatened to appear and the sudden fatigue that was sweeping over her body after her magic session.

"Do you think you can try again when we get back?" Anubis asked, walking beside her. "I wasn’t able to analyze all the locations, at least not enough to create an itinerary."

"Is that an excuse to get close again?" she replied playfully, a sly smile on her lips.

He had teased her, after all. For Anaïs, it was an invitation to continue their little flirtation. And if she was being completely honest, she wanted to experience it again, even though the feeling of exhaustion was gradually taking over. She had felt in sync with the god, closer to him than she had ever been to anyone else. The attraction she felt for this handsome god was slowly turning into a pull that was becoming difficult to resist. She couldn’t fight on all fronts.

"Maybe," he simply retorted, discreetly mirroring her sly smile.

Surprised, she turned to her partner, a questioning look in her eyes, then burst into laughter when she noticed that he wore an amused expression rather than his usual shy and reserved demeanor. It was strange to hear him play along, but it was a welcome change. It marked a new turning point in their relationship and promised a slightly more... spicy development.

"What we did, mixing our magic," Anaïs quickly clarified, "is that something common?"

"Are you asking if I do that with all the women I meet?"

"Among other things," she giggled at his cheeky rephrasing.

"No, it’s not something common," he simply replied.

She wasn’t fooled; he had just thrown a hook in her face by not answering his very own question. He didn’t seem like a Don Juan, unlike Sobek, but... now, she couldn’t help but doubt. Still, her pride forbade her from taking the bait by insisting on the point. A fierce battle between her dignity and her curiosity began. The struggle put her nerves to the test, but she held firm.

"I know you're dying to ask the question," he teased, clearly proud of himself.

Anaïs shot him a withering look as her only response. She didn’t trust the words that might come out of her mouth if she opened it.

"I don’t do that with every woman I meet," he finally admitted as the villa came into view.

She would have loved to wipe that smug smile off his face by turning the tables, but for now, she had to admit defeat, with the promise that her revenge would be terrible. And she wouldn’t have to wait particularly long for that moment to come, since they were going to attempt the magical experience again in just a few moments. In the meantime, it was best to lie low and play innocent so that he would let his guard down. If he thought he could unsettle her with so little, he still had a lot to learn about her personality.