Chapter 21: Chapter 19

They rushed outside the room and came face to face with a man. He was about 6 feet and very muscular. He had broad thick shoulders and upper back muscles, masculine square chest and rock-hard arms. His face was slightly hairy, with distinctive sideburns. He was wearing only a trouser and boots. 

He stood in the corridor as if he was waiting for them, breathing heavily.

Ius noticed the side of the wall; it was completely cracked. The man has been hitting it head-on to gain their attention. His face was bruised because of that.

Ius’ eyes shone, then he felt Poppy's hand squeezing his arm. ‘’ It is the man from the restaurant. How can he be here and awake like us?’’ she whispered scarily.

The man stared at them for a few seconds, then put one hand up. ‘’ I’m here for you, Poppy’’ he said in a deep voice. 

Poppy hid behind Ius. ‘’ Don’t let him take me, please!’’ she murmured.

Ius’ eyes shone even more.

‘’ Easy son! I’m here to help. Poppy, don’t you recognise me?’’ The man said.

Poppy frowned and observed intensely at the man. Under his bushy eyebrows, she noticed his purple hues. 

Her eyes opened wide and lit up. ‘’ Uncle Theo?’’ She asked, completely stunned.

The man bellowed before transforming in front of them. His face changed; two gigantic horns grew out of his head and his nose grew into a bull nose. He was a minotaur; half man, half bull.

‘’ Uncle Theo!’’ Repeated Poppy in a relieved tone while running towards him to hug him.

He opened his arms and lifted her off the floor in an embrace.

‘’ Oh, my God! It was you all this time. I thought you wanted to kidnap me.’’ She said.

He chuckled. ‘’ Why would I do that?’’ He answered while carefully putting her down.

‘’ How come you didn’t recognise me? Has it been that long?’’

Poppy nodded. ‘’ Yes, it has! I haven’t seen you since I was eight…maybe. And I never saw you in your human form. But I remembered your eyes.’’

Theo let out a deep laugh. ‘’ Oh! I am so sorry, Poppy. I forgot about that part. I am sorry if I scared you. I am very brash sometimes. I am really sorry about your parents.’’

Poppy looked down at the floor. Choking back her tears, she said, ‘’ I thought you’d forgotten about me, uncle Theo. You’ve stopped writing to me after the accident.’’

He crouched down and delicately lifted her head. ‘’ I am very sorry, Poppy. After your parents' accident, I went into hiding. Something was off about it. But I made it to the funeral. I was just watching from a distance.’’

‘’ What do you mean something was off about the accident?’’ Asked Poppy.

‘’ Not here. We need to get you out of this spell first, then I will explain.’’ Said Theo.

Ius approached them. ‘’ Sorry to interrupt, but can I ask you how you are here and awake when technically you were not at the hotel?’’

Theo frowned and asked Poppy, ‘’ is the jinn your friend?’’

She smiled. ‘’ Yes, he is. And he has been such a good help to me.’’

Theo let out a scoffing sound. ‘’ Hum! Does having you look like your grandmother also part of his help?’’

Ius let out a nervous laugh. ‘’ It was just a tiny mistake, but it was Poppy’s idea. So, technically, I was following her lead."

What????????? You little beast, thought Poppy.

Ius continued, " And you haven’t answered my question. How did you get in?’’

Theo got up and pointed at Poppy. ‘’ She let me in.’’

‘’ What?’’ blurted out Poppy and Ius, surprised.

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‘’ How? When?...I don’t have my powers and I wouldn’t even be able to do it if I had them. Are you sure?’’ Uttered Poppy.

Theo nodded. ‘’ You don’t need to do anything. You have the mark of the bull. Here, it is behind your hear. It was my gift to you as your supernatural godfather. I’ve marked you the day you were born.’’

Poppy immediately touched the back of her ear. ‘’ I always thought that it was a birthmark. My parents never told me.’’

‘’ Can I see?’’ Eagerly asked Ius. ‘’ I’ve read about the mark of the bull but I have never seen one.’’ 

Poppy folded her ear for him to have a good look. It was a tiny circular red mark. ‘’Oh! It looks like a bull’s hooves,’’ exclaimed Ius.

‘’ Yes he does,’’ said Theo. ‘’ As the bearer of the mark, every time Poppy feels like she is in danger, I can appear where she is. Even if she is trapped in a spell.’’

‘’ I’m glad you are here with us, uncle Theo.’’ said a smiling Poppy.

‘’ So, should we split again, trying to look for the exits before?’’ Asked Ius.

‘’ No. I’ve already found it. Just follow me.’’ Said Theo before running down.

Poppy and Ius followed him. He was fast, but thanks to his heavy footsteps, they could know where to go. He guided them to the back of the hotel and straight into the courtyard.

Poppy then agitatedly tapped on Ius' arm while pointing to a wall. ‘’ Ius, look, look! There is something over there!’’

He looked in the direction she was pointing at and exclaimed, ‘’ in the name of the Creator! It is the exit! We were looking for an object this whole time, but it was a sign we were supposed to find. I guess I was wrong about knowing everything about sleeping spells.’’

‘’ It’s okay. We learn something new every day,’’ replied Poppy with a smile.

‘’ Quick, one of you needs to open the door,’’ said Theo.

They moved closer to the mark, which was shining brightly. 

Poppy looked at him. ‘’ Would I see you soon, uncle Theo?’’ 

He smiled and stroked her cheek. ‘’ If you keep getting yourself in trouble, you will. But remember that the only reason the mark called on me was probably that you didn’t have your powers, so please be careful.’’

Poppy nodded.

‘’ And stay away from that restaurant. There is a dark aura there.’’ He added.

‘’ I will,’’ she said before grabbing Ius' hand and holding it tightly. 

‘’ Hope it works this time. I’m going to miss that grey hair though,’’ Ius said jokingly as he carefully placed the inner surface of his hand onto the sign in front of them.

Poppy smiled back and took a deep breath as an array of light blinded them for a split second.

They were in the same spot when they opened their eyes, facing the wall in the courtyard. They both glanced at each other and started looking around.

Everything was back to normal; Poppy’s hair had returned to its original colour. Her hands and face felt like a thirteen-year-old again. They started jumping around and hugged.

‘’ The spell is broken,’’ said an ecstatic Poppy. ‘’I can’t believe it,’’ she sighed.

‘’ Yeah, me too,’’ said Ius. ‘’ We make a good team, don’t you think? Well, minus your uncle Theo. He literally showed us the way out.’’

‘’ Yes,’’ she said, then yawned. ‘’ I am exhausted.’’

‘’ I’m sure you are. Grab my hands; I’ll take you back to your room before anyone noticed us standing here.’’

Ius quickly recited, ‘’ From the comfort of our beds, take us back, until this night ends,’’ and they both disappeared from the courtyard.

Further down the courtyard, hiding behind the plants, lurking in the shadows, a pair of eyes was watching them and then vanished.

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