Chapter 4 - Signature

She searched for answers in the dark of the night

And found solace in the stars' flickering light

She knew she was different, but that was okay

For her uniqueness was what made her sway

 "Bianca! Wake up! Can you hear me? Wake up!" Victor shook Bianca while she was screaming on the sofa. She finally opened her eyes, wet from warm tears. 

 "You’ve been having a nightmare!" Victor, clearly alarmed, gave her a tissue. "Here you are. You can wipe your tears." 

 Bianca didn’t know if what she had just experienced was only a dream or not. She felt relieved seeing the light coming from an enormous chandelier which hung from the recessed ceiling. 

 "I wasn’t here for just a couple of minutes. You must be exhausted if you fell asleep so quickly." 

 "Actually…", Bianca said with a weak voice. "I’m not sure if I was sleeping."

 "What do you mean?" Victor raised his eyebrows in the characteristic of his way, making his nasal holes much bigger. For a second, he resembled a crow. 

 "It was so realistic… and…", she stopped, reaching her back. 

 "And what?", Victor scratched his forehead. 

 "And painful. I still feel it." Bianca touched her back from behind. 

 "Painful?", he raised his voice, pretending the highest level of kindness. "Where?"

 Bianca wanted to show him her back, but something stopped her. 

 "No, you’re right. That was just a bad dream."

 "Are you sure?"

 "Yes, I’m sure. It’s all surreal to me." 

 "I bet it is. Your mom’s life depends on this night. That’s why I want to make it easier for you. No more face-to-face congregations."

 Bianca followed his hands as photos were placed on the table one by one. She saw ten men again, the same handsome and strange to her. How was she supposed to make a choice? 

 Next to the pictures, Victor placed a marital contract and a pen. Then he moved backwards, making clear that it was time for a final decision. The clock struck 4 am, and a new day was about to start with the first fiery rays of the sun. 

 "Did you make sure she’s going to pick you?", a whispering voice was definitely interested in getting the answer. 

 "As much as I could.", another mouth moved nervously in the darkness. "Actually, it came out better than I thought."

 "What do you mean?"

 "She fainted right after the introduction. Can you imagine it? Ha ha ha…"

 "I can’t believe she’s Victor’s granddaughter. She’s all misery."

 "Not exactly. There’s something I need to tell you. The crow almost died to have drunk her blood. His instinct is never wrong."

 "Tell me everything. What happened?"

 "We went for a night chase. Later I took a shower and decided to check out on her. She was standing alone with her finger bleeding. Initially, I didn’t know what had happened, but then I looked at the cage. The bird sipped all the blood and even licked the bars, not leaving a single drop. It had pecked her, and this blood made him insane. Thanks to this lucky coincidence, I was tempted to make a bit risky move…" Michael stopped for a second, wanting to make sure the other side was there. 

 "Go ahead. Have you done what I think?"

 "More or less. I made her half-aware… by the way… that was a piece of cake. And then I could get close to her… But, of course, my biggest interest was her back. Bianca’s skin is so immaculate… I could have done it much gentler, but I got carried away. I ripped her t-shirt and saw it - two enticing shoulder blades - so small and so fragile. But my wolf wanted more."

 "You could be a writer, Michael. When is your climax going to happen?"

 "Ha ha! I hope I am making your boring life more exciting. And now, watch out for it. My wolf has scratched her pretty milky back on two sides. And you know what? I saw them - two pretty arrows - the seeds of her crow second nature."

 "Are you sure?" The voice from the other side of the receiver couldn’t hide his excitement. 

 "Of course, I am. I’m not an idiot." Michael laughed sarcastically. 

 "In that case, we have hit the jackpot! We are just one step away from making the whole thing work. What’s going on right now with her?"

 "The old pa is pushing on her to make a final choice."

 "So, why are you not there??!" The voice shouted into the receiver.

 "Damn! Don’t shout at me! What am I supposed to do more?" Michael felt irritation flooding over his body. 

 "You know what you have to do."

 "Oh dear, not this again."

 "After we’ve made it so far, we can’t lose that chance!"

 "Alright, alright. So I have to go."

 "Go! Go!" The connection ended, leaving a blunt tune in Michael’s head. 

 At the same time, Bianca was staring at the photos. She felt Victor’s overwhelming look on her. She poured in sweat cause she knew that the time had come and it was impossible to delay the choice. Her fate was supposed to be determined right then. 

 In the collection of photos, Bianca recognised Michael’s face. He was smiling there, showing his perfect teeth. Michael looked like one of those full-of-themselves boys who have no complexes and always get what they want. 

 He was attractive, no doubt, but on the left side, there was another man whose look caught Bianca’s attention. 

 She couldn’t remember his name, but there was something in his face that she liked. Although he smiled in a bit artificial way, some authentic element was hidden in his eyes, making Bianca think of him, as he could be capable of some deeper feelings. And those dimples… How could she have forgotten his name? 

 "That’s Samuel.", said Victor, noticing how Bianca was looking at the photo.  "The names are written on the back."

 Bianca turned the photo. Indeed, the boy was called Samuel. Only 19 years old. 

 Finally, she was close to making a final decision. Samuel or Michael… Her whole life depended on that choice. Something inside her was pointing clearly at the boy with dimples. However, she saw him only for a minute or two. But Michael’s touch and the fact that he appeared when she didn’t know what to do. She had already talked to him… He helped her… Bianca could really trust him. 

 But she felt something inside that was preventing her from being sure. A slight but thorny sting she was unable to ignore. 

 "So Samuel." Bianca thought to herself. 

 Suddenly, as she held Michael’s photo and immersed in Samuel’s one, his eyes, cheeks, and mouth took up a devilish look. His handsome face turned into a beast’s or a devil’s with horns. The photo became so hot that it almost burnt her hand, so she dropped it on the floor. She screamed with horror, and Victor immediately jumped up to her. 

 "What’s happened, Bianca?"

 The photo lay on the floor with the name at the top. Bianca felt utterly shocked - she even didn’t know what to say. 

 "I think I've just had an illusion. I'm still not feeling well." 

 "Oh, my child. You’re making me worried; we’re running out of time."

 "Just please, give me some water. I’ll pull myself together." 

 Victor sighed with a mixture of worries and impatience and disappeared behind one of the columns. Bianca felt stuck between the walls, which were moving towards each other and were about to smash her. The fear inside Bianca grew bigger and bigger. And she didn’t notice that it was some play at her cost. 

 A white wolf sat in front of the table, staring relentlessly at Bianca. Its fur was like a chameleon’s skin, taking up the surrounding colours. That made him almost invisible. Only a good eye could spot the interference with everything around. 

 Bianca didn’t realise anything. Now, not only Samuel’s face looked scary, but every single one of them. There was just one exception - Michael. His photo was not changed. It remained just like before the whole thing started. 

 "I need to take them out of my sight!" 

 Bianca was on the verge of exhaustion. Her cheeks were on fire, and her heart thumped like it was going to give its last breath. She swept away all the photos, and they landed on the floor. Only Michael's was still on the table. 

 "So, it’ll be you…", she whispered to herself. "No more torment."

  Bianca took a pen and wrote his name next to the word: husband - Michael Rosenberg, on the marital contract.

 One second later, the fancy pen scratched the snow-white sheet of paper again - Bianca’s signature appeared next to the word - wife. The pen bounced on the glass table, and at the same time, the wolf’s piercing eyes lost their sharpness. 

 "Here you are!" Victor returned carrying a glass of water. As soon as he passed the glass to Bianca, he noticed the signed documents. 

 "oh, you’ve made the choice?"

 "Yes…" Bianca drank the whole glass of water in one go. "Now, you have to save my mom."

 "As you wish." 

 Victor didn’t comment on the choice. Instead, he picked up the photos and put them into his jacket pocket. Bianca spotted Samuel’s face. It looked normal again. That fact made her feel dizzy: "What if I made a wrong choice?" 

 She couldn’t cut herself off from the doubts flooding her head. But she decided to stay strong: "That’s not important. Only my mom is what truly counts."

 "Go to sleep. I will wake you up at noon. Then you’ll get more instructions."

 The older man put a stern expression on his face. He started to behave like an arrogant doctor who scorned his patients and wanted to finish his shift as soon as possible. 

 The Column Hall was empty again. The transparent wolf was sitting patiently right next to the crow’s cage. Michael shifted when they left the place - he took up the handsome human shape again.

 "I hate it!", he said, exercising his jaw and neck like after the fight. "But I’m bloody good at it!"

 Without any rush, Michael got closer to the cage and uncovered it.

 "Fuck! What the hell is going on here?!"

 The crow lay dead at the bottom of the cage. A reddish substance sparkled in the chandelier's golden light. It vomited the blood with a mixture of its undigested food remnants.