Chapter 15

“Can you guys come out to the abandoned nursery after class? I need you to have sex to help set up what we talked about last night.” That was the voicemail Laurel left for Kate during class.

When Kate and Baz showed up, Laurel looked wired - like someone who had stayed up all night and through the day working on a school project. Her eyes were sunken, her hair was a mess, and she had sweat stains on her blouse despite the chilly weather.

The center of the big secluded open-air room where the plant had been was now home to a spray paint circle, seven yards in diameter. Unlit candles in glass jars were placed around the circle at uneven intervals, sometimes with lines drawn between them. A lounge chair cushion was at the center.

Laurel’s laptop had six browser tabs open to various magic-related web pages. There were a few stapled bundles of printouts laying around, and two books that apparently came from the university library. Several empty energy drink cans were arranged neatly on the floor out of the way.

“Laurel, have you slept?” Kate asked, concerned.

“Yeah! Well, like, an hour,” Laurel answered manically. “But then there was too much in my head, so I had to go research it, and each step led to another one that I just had to answer before I went to bed. And then it was like, ‘That can’t be all there is to it, right’? So I figured I’d run into more complications once I started setting up, but I didn’t! So now I need you too to have sex while I set up initial scaffolding for the summoning circle, and then after that I need to fuck someone myself to create the containment apparatus. Um, Baz, do you think you could find a guy who’d be willing to have sex with me so I can do the spell? I think I’m pretty good at it and I promise to tell him how big his dick is and stuff.”

“Laurel, I’m on my period,” Kate said in a cautious tone.

“Oh, perfect!” Laurel said. “Can I have some of your menses? I need to mix it in with the paint for the detail work. I can’t believe I almost forgot! This is going to solve all our problems! It’ll be great!”

“Laurel, stop,” Kate said firmly. “We’re not having sex, and you’re not doing any more magic, until you’ve had ten hours of uninterrupted sleep.”

“No, this is all easy! And we’re so close!”

“No. I’m not taking any chances with summoning a bigger, badder demon when you’re not at one hundred percent,” Kate insisted. “I’m mission control, and I’m scrubbing this launch.”

Baz jumped in: “Honestly, Laur - normally you’re really cute and fun to be around, but looking and acting like this...? No guy is going to want to get with you.”

Laurel’s face showed doubt. With a sudden shift in tone, she confessed, “I don’t think I can sleep.”

“You’ll sleep,” Kate said reassuringly. “C’mon, let’s get you to your dorm. We’ll figure out where we need to pick up again tomorrow.”

Embarrassed, Laurel said, “I can get there on my own. You guys don’t need to worry about me.”

Kate turned genuinely angry. “Fuck you Laurel, you are not driving,” she said. She added, muttering, “Remind me to tell you how I ended up in this chair some time.”

Laurel fell asleep in Baz’s car. He carried her up to her dorm room and tucked her into bed while Kate asked her roommate to fend off any distractions.