Somerville College

"They don't know he is here! If we just say we located him, and offer to turn him over, no harm right? The Prince of Montreal sent this boy. He doesn't even understand why." Liam bites his lip. "I see returning him as a good option. They will surely be glad to have him back and owe you a favour. Or we could destroy him and the boy, they would never know. Or wake Silas under your thrall, he would make a powerful servant. Or if you desire it, I can leave, you can pin the blame on me and tell them you have dealt with it." 

" You said that you and this 'Rae' 'took him down'," Durand quotes at Liam, turning to jab a pointed finger in his direction. "You should have finished the job. Do you really want a vengeful elder hunting you down if they wake him up? Do you think that Strathcona will show mercy when he hears of it, or that this Silas will not have the strength to resist the blood bond long enough to tear my head from my shoulders?" Shaking her head, she turns to look out the window into the night. "If Silas is to disappear, then it must be tabula rasa. Michael, the mortals from the foyer, Rae and her kin, the mage, even Mehdi. All of them must go and even then it may not be enough."

"I am sure Silas could not defeat you. If we took him down, you could decapitate him with a thought." He bows hoping the flattery will get him somewhere. "What would you have me do?"

"That's if we can even wake him, which is doubtful," the Professor muses, more to herself than anything else. "Find the Mekhets. Determine who they have told of SIlas's fate. Then dispose of them. Discreetly . No manhunts this time."

"and Michael and the mage?" Liam sighs internally, he hates getting his hands dirty, but deep down he knew the moment he saw the masters that he wouldn't be able to sit this one out

"Michael doesn't know what was in the box, correct? His disappearance would raise questions. Watch him carefully, but do not act against him... not yet anyway. The mage you should leave to me for the time being. Provoking Christ Church would be unwise."

"Michael knows there is a body in the box, I told him it was the campus killer. What about the body?"

"Was it not a gift?" The professor teases with an arched eyebrow.

Of course. I thought you didn't like it though."

"It was thoughtless, but well meant. Moving him again is needlessly risky. Leave me now and I shall consider Silas's fate." Durand turns away from Liam, indicating that his time with her is at an end.

Liam bows and exits in a hurry. He considers his options for a moment before heading towards the bar, texting Mehdi again as he goes  Where are you? I need your help, now. Continued in angels

...continued from Angel Checking the corridor for any nosey lurkers, Liam opens the door to his small flat and ushers Claire inside, closing the door behind him he wastes to time, grabbing her close and licking her neck. His hands brush down her body, caressing her curves and loosening her clothes. He lifts  her up and holding her against the wall. He lets her dig her nails into his back as she moans with the pleasure of his embrace as his fangs find her neck. He pulls his mouth away for a moment to let her catch her breath, not letting her touch the floor, he presses closer against her, letting the memory of more human urges guide him as he supports her weight with his thighs. He indulges her for several minutes in the human practices, enhanced by the ecstacy of his bite. "You want more? It's your turn to drink from me." He bites his lip, drawing blood and offering his mouth for her to suck from.

Intoxicated by Liam's Daeva charm, Claire doesn't hesitate to follow the vampire's every instruction.

As she drinks in his blood, Liam feels his hold over the girl intensify. Some of his power flows into her. "Now, this little job... I need you and your partner to track down a colleague of mine and shed some sunlight on her."

Claire is left gasping for breath as Liam pulls away, already hungry for more. "What? Who? Why?" The questions roll off her tongue, before she's really had time to process what is being asked of her.

"Actually it's two, but one thing at a time." He steps further away to sit at the small table in his kitchen. He pushes out a second chair for her to join him. "First, we need your partner to come to me, I'm waiting on an email back to make the appointment, but in the meantime you should begin searching. Eve de la Fontaine is dangerous, she is a librarian at Keble, easy enough to search up on the university system. You should not approach until you find where she lives. Rae Andrews is almost as dangerous, but she is a student here like you and may be easier to gain access to without suspicion. Taking them down should be simple, a house fire in the day time is a rather deadly thing to a vampire, nowhere to go you see?"

Claire nods dozily, still drunk on Liam's blood. She leans in towards him for more.

Liam leans back  "Careful there, you don't want to over indulge. You can have more when one of their houses burns. Now, I need to go and feed and get your partner up to speed."

"I want more." Claire's words slur slightly as she responds to Liam's warning. "I want to feel like this all the time. I want to be like you. Powerful and immortal. I'll do anything to get there."

Liam smiles. "You will feel like this, as long as you are working for me I will keep you feeling powerful. Succeed in your task and I will give you even more, then you can become just like me. Forever. If that is what you want. But don't rush it, the task is dangerous and you will need help. Now sleep, you can stay here if you like."

Claire's eyes widen with excitement at the prospect of becoming like Liam. "Yes, that's exactly what I want. I'll do whatever it takes to prove myself to you. Thank you." She leans in for a moment, as if to give him a kiss on the cheek, but hesitates. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. I just feel so alive, so invigorated. I can't wait to get started and show you what I'm capable of."

Liam kisses her firmly. "Don't apologise. We have to follow what we want, else how will we ever get it?. Now I have some work and you need to sleep, be ready to help me recruit your friend tomorrow and to find your targets during the day."

Claire nods, her head still spinning from the effects of Liam's blood. "Of course, I'll be ready. I won't let you down," she says, her voice filled with determination. As Liam stands up to leave, Claire reaches out and grabs his hand, stopping him in his tracks. "Liam, wait," she says, her voice hesitant. "I... I just wanted to say... thank you. Thank you for showing me this world, for giving me this gift. I don't think that I can ever repay you for what you've done for me."

"We'll see." Liam gives her a wink. Several hours later he returns, checking his emails to see if the study applicants had responded about the meeting time.

When Liam checks his inbox, he finds a promising response waiting for him. Dear Professor McCarthy, thank you for your email and for considering me for your study. I am interested in participating and would like to know more about the project. I appreciate the opportunity to share my experiences as a successful female athlete in higher education and to contribute to research on gender discrimination. Could you please provide me with more details on the format and duration of the interviews and focus groups, as well as the payment and course credits? I would also like to know more about the second phase of the project and what it entails. Please let me know if there is any further information I can provide. I look forward to hearing from you. Best regards, Aisha Khan

Dear Aisha, Thank you for your prompt response. The initial interview would be a 30 minute interview with myself and a research associate to gather information on your experiences. Based on these two follow up one hour interviews may be conducted and you will be organised into a focus group which will meet 3 times during the academic year to track any changes in attitudes.  Payment will be the standard 5 credits per hour or part of, or alternatively a £50 Amazon voucher can be claimed for full participation in the study. There will also be several potential benefits to you through the course of the study in the form of access to a sports psychologist and a chance to identify with other athletes in your position. If you would like to find out more, perhaps a short informal interview in my office this evening would help to clarify the details? Kind Regards, Prof. L. McCarthy  He sends the message then opens his laptop to search the university site and Facebook to look through Aisha's profile, refresh himself on her achievements and check if she has any social engagements he could crash.

Liam finds that Aisha has completed an internship with a prominent women's rights organization, was awarded a scholarship for academic excellence in sociology and is a volunteer tutor for underprivileged students. This Friday, she is performing at an open mic night for poetry at a local café.

Impressed, and finally optimistic, Liam settles down for daysleep. He wakes up to the early night alarm to see he has a text back from Mehdi  Thank fuck you are ok. Where have you been? How quick can you get here? We have trouble. Thinking of trouble, he knows his hold over Michael is bound to end some time. Best head that off. Hi, sorry to run off last night, as I'm sure you realise, trouble is brewing for me here. Look I hope you're not mad? I promise everything I told you is as truthful as I can be, and I will answer almost any questions you have. That was fishing enough, it would get the message across of his majesty had worn off, but look like it was about last night if it hadn't. He reads it back twice before hitting send and checking for a response from Aisha, hopefully she would agree and be along shortly.

When Liam checks his emails he finds that Aisha has replied, agreeing to the interview. Dear Professor McCarthy, I am available for the interview this evening and would be happy to discuss the details of the study further. I appreciate the opportunity to participate in this research and look forward to contributing to the study. Could you please let me know what time would be convenient for me to come to your office for the interview? Best regards, Aisha Khan

Dear Aisha, Apologies, I only just picked up your email. I have office hours until 9 if you can still make it before then? Kind Regards, Prof. McCarthy Liam quickly grabs his jacket and calls Claire to come and join him before also shooting off a text to Mehdi to update him on his location for the next few hours. He takes the short walk down the corridor and upstairs to his office and sits patiently, well aware his actual students are also likely to come and bug him.

Claire steps inside the grand, stone arch of the entrance to Somerville College. Her heels click on the marble floor, echoing down the hallway as she walks. The air is cool and quiet, and the only sounds are the faint hum of the overhead lights and the rustling of papers coming from the nearby library. Making her way to Liam's office, Claire notices that the door is ajar with light spilling out from inside. She peers in and sees two chairs set in front of the desk, which has a few scattered books and papers atop it. Claire checks her phone, enters and takes a seat, crossing her legs and smoothing her skirt as she watches Liam for his reaction.

Liam smiles at her and gives a wink. He hands her a refill pad and pen.  "Now, take some notes and be quiet but attentive. See what you can pick up ok?" His hand brushes against her hair before he swiftly settles back in his seat and loads up the computer to do his mundane work as they wait.

Several minutes later, there is a knock on the door and Aisha steps inside. She looks around, scanning the room for a moment before her eyes meet Claire's and then Liam's. Aisha is a tall, athletic young woman of south Asian descent, with a strong and confident posture. Her curly hair is pulled back into a neat bun and she's dressed in comfortable running clothes.  The determined look on her face is paired with  bright and lively eyes that exude a sense of energy and focus, as though she is ready for action at a moment's notice. "Good evening," Aisha says, a small smile on her lips as she approaches the desk. "Sorry about the delay, I had trouble finding the place." She looks a little out of breath, as if she had been running to get here.

"Please, take a seat." Liam gestures at the chair opposite. "Perhaps some water? Then we can make a start. This is Claire, she's my assistant and is here to take notes around our discussion."  Liam pours some water and offers the glass across the table. "The interview is only semi-structured with us really looking to explore your experiences at this stage. You are of course free to withdraw at any time. If you are happy to proceed, perhaps you could start by telling us what interested you about the study?"

"Thank you, Professor McCarthy." Aisha takes the glass of water and takes a sip before putting it down on the table. "I was really interested in the opportunity to share my experiences as an athlete and to help contribute to the research on athlete welfare. I've seen first-hand how intense training and competition can take a toll on mental health and I believe that it's important to explore ways to support athletes in dealing with these challenges." Aisha pauses for a moment, collecting her thoughts. "I also appreciate the opportunity to access a sports psychologist and to connect with other athletes who may be going through similar experiences. It can be isolating to deal with these issues alone and I think that having a support system is crucial for an athlete's well-being."

Liam nods, his presence filling the room and setting the young lady at ease. He glances across at Claire to check she is writing on the pad. He smiles back at Aisha. "Now, I have to inform you, participants are obviously not selected at randome here, we are looking for the experiences of the best athletes, but also the best students and how they manage to combine the two, particularly in light of the obvious discrimination and gender imbalance in our society. You have an impressive record, which is why you were selected, but it would be good for you to talk through your achievements and challenges you have faced from your own point of view."

"Well, to give you a little background about myself, I have been competing in track and field since I was 10 years old", Aisha explains. "I specialise in the hurdles and have won several national and international competitions. I have also been recognised for my academic achievements and received a full scholarship to study at Oxford." "It hasn't always been easy, though. I have had to balance rigorous training schedules with a demanding academic workload. There were times when I had to make difficult decisions, like missing out on social events or sacrificing sleep to get everything done. I have also faced some gender-based discrimination, both on the track and in the classroom. I remember one incident where a coach told me that women were not suited for the hurdles and another where a professor made inappropriate comments about my appearance. It can be challenging to navigate these situations, but I have learned to stay focused on my goals and not let anyone else's opinions define me. I believe that this study is an important opportunity to shed light on the experiences of female athletes and help to create a more equitable and supportive environment."

Liam nods along to every word. "I do hope this study can achieve what you hope. If we may, and it isn't too uncomfortable for you to explore the unpleasant memories, could you tell me about how you feel when you experience these moments of discrimination, and how you respond to them in the moment."

Aisha takes a deep breath and begins to speak, her voice soft but firm. "Discrimination is unfortunately something that I have become accustomed to experiencing. When it happens, I feel a mix of emotions - anger, frustration, and sadness. It's hard not to take it personally, but I try to remember that it's not about me as an individual, but about the systemic discrimination that exists in our society." There's a moment of quiet as Aisha contemplates how to answer the rest of the question. "In terms of how I respond, it depends on the situation. Sometimes I choose to confront the person and challenge their behaviour. Other times, I try to let it go and focus on the competition or the task at hand. No matter what, I always make a conscious effort to not let it affect my performance or my self-confidence."

"Thank you. I know it is a difficult topic to talk about, and one we will no doubt explore further in the focus group. You are clearly a strong and competent person and I'm glad these things haven't stood in your way. I hope we can help put you in a position where you can help others to do the same. It is also something I would like to support you with going forwards. Is that something you would be interested in? Some training and help in protecting others from the adversity you have faced?" Liam looks at her carefully his presence filling the room so that he almost appears a holy crusader in front of her.

Aisha looks at Liam with a mix of gratitude and hesitation. "I appreciate your offer, Professor McCarthy, and I would be interested in helping others who face similar struggles. However, I am also still learning how to cope with my own experiences, so I'd like to take things one step at a time. If there are opportunities for me to receive training and support to help others in the future, then I would definitely consider them." She takes a deep breath and adds. "For now, I need to focus on myself and my own growth."

Liam smiles. "And your own growth, what does that look like? What do you want next, for yourself?"

"To graduate," Aisha clarifies with a gentle laugh.

"And after you graduate, is it your degree or the athletics you would choose to follow up with as a career, were all options open?"

"I'm not naive, professor," Aisha replies. "I'd love to be a professional athlete, but that career won't last forever. When I have to retire, I'll have my degree to turn to."

Liam holds his hands up defensiveley. "I would not for a moment believe you naive." He smiles, "It is just to determine whether your priorities are athletic or academic in the first instance for determining grouping later in the study." He opens his arms. "Now, I have to be open with you, you are one of the first interviewees for this study, and that is no accident. I am impressed by your record in both areas. This study is important to me, but giving people the chance to make real change now is just as big a fight as the long term social shift. Do you know Matt Murdoch, better known as daredevil? He defends people in court by day, trying to change the system, but he knows that real injustices are happening right now and sometimes people can't wait. This is not a fight I can take on effectively as a man, but I would like to employ you, give you the tools you need to stand up to that coach, and that lecturer, and every other pig on behalf of yourself and everyone else, whilst during the day you can continue to work on the field and in the classroom to change things from the inside. Is that something you would be interested in?"

It seems like, ordinarily, Aisha might have hesitated, but Liam's majesty draws her in. "Yes. Yes it is."

"Good, we can only wait on the sidelines so long, when these injustices happen in front of us." Liam stands from his seat and walks along the back of his desk.  "Claire here is not just taking notes, I brought her here to tell you that what I offer will give you the power to make a difference, I can help you be faster and stronger and to gather a group to work with you. You just have to be willing to embrace the opportunity. Have the confidence to answer the call. And of course, the fine print, to occasionally work with me on unrelated side projects." He looks to Claire to confirm his assertions.

Claire nods along in kind. "Working with Professor McCarthy is very rewarding." Whatever voice in Aisha's head that might have cried out at the blazing red flags of 'unrelated side projects' is swept aside by the power of Liam's majesty. "Of course! I'd love to assist you in enacting real change."

"Good, I'm very happy to hear it." He beams, "now if you would just hold out your arm for a second" Liam steps around the table, Aisha looks stunned and uncertain but her trust in Liam is complete and on many levels this behaviour is not at all inappropriate. It seems perfectly natural, until his fangs find her wrist, and suddenly it is the most sensational high, like winning a race the sudden rush of endorphins, and part of her doesn't want him to ever stop. Suddenly it's over though, his mouth is free and he is biting his own wrist and pressing it against hers and she feels different. Powerful. He looks at her smiling. "You will accomplish so much good, and I promise to help you, but first my position is under serious threat, and I need you and Claire to rid me of some serious problems."