Anubis had suggested that she take a quiet bath and enjoy the pool while he conducted some research before they resumed their magic session. He needed to gather some scrolls containing more or less precise maps of Egypt to note down all the information Anaïs could provide him. This would allow the young woman to relax after the eventful dinner. She certainly didn’t mind having an hour alone to herself.

After undressing, leaving her dress and jewelry on the floor, Anaïs dipped her toes into the pool's water before quickly pulling back with a scream. She had completely forgotten that the water had been magically heated the day before and was now cold. Perhaps Anubis would come to check why she screamed and might take care of it for her...

No, he wouldn’t dare, she resigned herself. I have to do it myself; it’s good practice.

Anaïs approached the pool, crouched down, and touched the water's surface with her fingers, dipping in the tips. She closed her eyes to help her focus and concentrated on the contact between her skin and the cold water to gather her magic there. This time, the manipulation was a bit easier now that she had already done it before. Next, she simply imagined the ball of energy she had accumulated transforming into a burning flame and pouring into the pool. A few seconds later, she felt the first hot vapors caress her face and withdrew her hand to stop heating the now boiling water.

"Damn, I overdid it a bit," she noted as she sat on the floor to let the water cool enough for her to get in. "I should try keeping my eyes open next time."

It took her about fifteen minutes before her body could finally tolerate the overwhelming heat of the water, and another five minutes before she managed to slip in up to her neck without burning herself as her skin adjusted to the temperature. Once settled, she sighed in contentment as she comfortably rested against the marble wall of the pool. Luckily, she enjoyed baths so hot that her cheeks turned red from the heat. There was no better remedy for relaxation and for dissipating her budding headache, especially with the light breeze that caressed her face since the room had no roof. She understood the reason for this architectural choice now.

Thirty minutes later, Anaïs donned a simple dress similar to the one she wore for her judgment, which a servant had brought her before she entered the bathroom. She placed the jewelry on one of the wicker dressers to avoid losing them but chose not to wear them since they wouldn’t leave the villa again today. The garment could easily serve as pajamas, as the fabric was thin and light.

Much too thin, she noticed, glancing down at the outline of her nipples visible through the dress. It's almost indecent, considering what we’re about to do...

The other option was to put back on the outfit she had worn for dinner, which she would have preferred to keep for the next day since she had only worn it for a few hours. She was more comfortable in the light dress, but she couldn’t deny its seductive nature... It was a good way to give him a taste of his own medicine, right? After all, she hadn’t chosen it; she was completely innocent. She was just wearing what had been brought to her.

Anubis was patiently waiting for her, seated in a wicker armchair in the living room, studying a scroll that mapped out the Nile in detail. When she entered the room, he glanced up at her silhouette, his eyes briefly flickering over her prominent curves beneath the fabric, but he made no comment and returned his attention to the paper for a few more seconds. He was deliberately ignoring her, but she excused him since his task was more important at the moment.

In her absence, he had recreated a comfortable space with a carpet and cushions on the floor, a setup she appreciated as it was perfect for “meditating” together. When she knelt on it—it was impossible to sit cross-legged without revealing her underwear—he finally lifted his gaze from the papyrus and decided to join her, not without first grabbing the quill and inkpot he had placed on the coffee table. He pushed aside a few cushions to clear the area, then laid out the scroll, holding it open with the weight of the inkpot. Once everything needed for the session was finally gathered, his focused gaze met Anaïs’s impatient one.

"We can begin," he announced, extending both his hands toward hers.

A jolt of electricity surged through the brunette’s fingers when their skin touched again. They intertwined their hands without hesitation as if it were the most natural and familiar thing for them to do, and Anaïs closed her eyes to focus on the task ahead. As she channeled her magic toward the area near Anubis's body, her mind became so attuned to the friction of their skin that it made her almost hypersensitive. She could feel every slight brush of their skin, every small twitch of their fingers, and all the warmth radiating from his palms. This time, he hadn’t erected his mental barriers, allowing Anaïs to immediately pour her energy into his. The jackal god’s magic welcomed hers openly, encouraging it to blend and transmit the visual information he needed.

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The exchange lasted for a minute during which Anaïs let the detection spell flow into Anubis, requiring less focus than when she tried to visualize the pieces of Osiris herself. This allowed her to concentrate solely on the contact of their skin, which, coupled with the mingling of their magic, nearly gave her a sense of euphoria. Every friction sent shivers down her spine, and the warmth of his hands gradually spread to her lower abdomen. She wanted to touch more of his skin, to slide her fingers along his arm, then his shoulder, and finally bury them in his black hair...

Anubis’s sudden withdrawal of his hands snapped her cruelly back to reality. He had broken the contact between their bodies without warning to grab his quill and scribble a few points on the map of the Nile. Stunned, she watched him work, blinking in disbelief. It felt as if she had been forcibly pulled from a dream that now struggled to fade. She shivered, the cold emptiness replacing the warmth of their closeness, leaving only the shy fire that still heated her lower abdomen. He seemed completely unaffected by the exercise, which started to irritate Anaïs, especially when he gestured for her to continue, taking her hands as if nothing had happened.

A minute later, just as she was slipping back into her sensory trance and letting herself be carried by the flow of energy, he repeated the same gesture, pulling away to circle some points on the map. Did he even realize that the magic session was beginning to feel like torture for the young woman?

"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you," she growled.

"Sorry, but there are so many images and fragments, I can’t retain everything without pausing," he explained, still focused on the papyrus.

"That’s not what I’m talking about."

"Then what?" he asked, gazing at her with innocent eyes.

He truly had no idea what Anaïs was feeling at that moment, she realized as she saw how absorbed he was in his mission.

"Nothing, forget it," she muttered with a sigh, resigned.

The third time proved to be a true test of nerves, the repeated sensory deprivation amplifying her desire to be close to the jackal god. She fervently hoped he would stick to the information he had just obtained because she didn’t know if she could endure a fourth round. When he captured her hands in his once again, she winced. It was too much for her. Focusing her magic on a specific point was becoming an increasingly difficult task, her energy scattering in all directions in her distress. The desire had transformed into a need.

"You’re starting to tire, aren’t you? I can feel it. We can stop here; your magic is becoming unstable."

"I can’t take it anymore," she declared, suddenly leaning forward to press her lips against Anubis's.

His surprise lasted only a second, after which he responded favorably to her kiss, much to the delight of the young woman, who could no longer control her desires. When she realized that he wasn’t going to push her away, she leaped forward to straddle his thighs, pressing her chest against his firm torso. Her arms wrapped around his neck, closing the last few centimeters of distance between their bodies as he, in turn, encircled her waist with his arms to pull her closer.

Her magic was frantic, the ball of energy she had accumulated exploding in all directions, clashing with Anubis’s magic, which, though calmer, had now become more restless. This was no ordinary kiss. The way their magical essences collided and tamed each other in a wild, frenzied dance was akin to a spiritual firework display. Anaïs’s mind was awash with euphoria, and her excited body fed off the closeness of their two forms. She wanted to feel more, to explore the burning excitement that consumed her. She wanted to feel him within her.

After a moment that felt like only a second, the need to catch her breath became overwhelming. She would have loved to drown in his lips, but her survival instinct gave her no choice. When she finally pulled back to take a deep breath, a powerful wave of fatigue swept over her muscles and mind. Suddenly, she felt exhausted, and out of breath.

"What’s happening to me?" she whispered, not understanding why her strength was leaving her.

"You let your magic flow out of you like a waterfall," Anubis explained, gently tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "You need to rest."

Anaïs wanted to protest, but a jaw-dropping yawn stopped her. Resigned, she stole one last kiss from the god, who responded with an amused smile, then stood up to head to her bedroom. She staggered to her bed after closing the door behind her and threw herself onto the cushions and blanket. The urge to scream into her pillow was strong. Her lips were still red from their kisses, and the inside of her thighs was damp—two remnants of her silent longing and boiling excitement. The worst part of the entire situation was that she was far too exhausted to even touch herself and relieve her frustration. No, she would have to endure it through her sleep with this urge invading her dreams that night.