Josiah sat near the door reading a Bible and silently praying that their teammate would be all right. Vin sat quietly and stared out the window. The only outward sign of his agitation was the slight fluttering of his wings. Chris paced around the room impatiently. Meanwhile, Buck was sitting on the other side of the room, watching J.D. and Ophelia play with some toys that a nurse had given them.
�You�re making me dizzy with all your pacing,� Buck finally said, standing up and walking across the room.
Chris stopped and sighed deeply. Turning to Josiah, he said, �Did Nathan seem to have any idea what was wrong with him?�
The former preacher shook his head and shrugged. �If he did, he didn�t tell me,� Josiah replied softly. �He did say that he�d know more when Ezra woke up and he could speak with him.�
Ophelia looked up at Buck and asked, �Ezra�s going to be alright, isn�t he?�
�Course he is, sweetheart,� Buck replied, smoothing her chestnut hair.
J.D. frowned and asked, �How come you call Mr. Ezra by his name?�
The little elf shrugged. �It�s what he said to call him,� she answered evenly.
�You�re not his daughter?� Chris asked, blinking in surprise.
Vin chuckled. �Chris,� he said patiently. �Ophelia�s an elf-child. Ezra ain�t an elf.�
Chris smirked and shrugged. �She looks like she could be his,� he grumbled. �She has the same hair and eye color that he does.�
�Yeah,� Vin agreed. �Lots of people make that mistake, I guess.� Sighing deeply, he explained, �Way Ezra tells it, he found Ophelia and took her in a few years ago. Legally, he�s her guardian, but they aren�t blood relations, so far as I know.�
�A few years ago?� Buck asked. Smiling at Ophelia, he said, �So you were just a little thing, then.�
Ophelia shook her head and Vin stifled a chuckle. �Elves age a lot slower than human people do, Buck,� he explained. �Just because she looks the same age as J.D. doesn�t mean that she is. Truth be told, she�s probably about fifteen years old.�
Ophelia nodded and grinned. �Me and Ezra have the same birthday,� she exclaimed. �We�re like twins, separated by birth.�
Josiah smiled and closed his Bible. �Your names even mean the same thing,� he said, softly. He was glad that the conversation had at least relieved some of the building tension.
Ophelia nodded. �Helper,� she whispered.
Just then Nathan stepped into the waiting room and glanced around.
�Any news?� Chris asked, worriedly.
The healer sighed. �I was able to stabilize him and he woke up just a moment ago,� he said softly.
�That�s good,� Buck said, smiling slightly.
Nathan nodded. �It�s something, anyway,� he agreed. �He�s asking for Ophelia,� he added. �Before you go in, though, I thought I should tell you what is wrong with him.�
�You know what it is then,� Josiah stated.
�Yes,� Nathan said evenly. �You see � everyone has� sort of a force around them. We usually call it a life force, but magicians, like Ezra, call it an aura. Your life force is supposed to be a certain color � based on your personality and what types of powers you have � and it�s supposed to resonate at a certain frequency.�
�Okay,� Chris said softly. �Keenan�s told me about auras. His is very sensitive, so he has to be careful around certain things.�
Nathan smiled tightly. �Apparently, Ezra�s life force is sensitive as well,� he explained. �He was exposed to the pollen of a certain plant and now it�s resonating at the wrong frequency.�
�How do you fix that?� Vin asked softly.
Nathan sighed. �There�s not very much I can do,� he admitted. �All we can do is wait for the pollen to work its way out of his system and hope his condition doesn�t get worse.�
�Can I go see him now?� Ophelia asked shyly.
The healer nodded and said, �I�ll show you where he is. Just try not to tire him out too much.�
Chris nodded. �Vin and Ophelia can stay. The rest of us will visit and then let him rest a while,� he said. �We can come back later.�
Nathan nodded. �That sounds like a good idea.�
**
Vin pushed the door to Ezra�s room open and peered in. �Hey,� he whispered.
The southerner�s green eyes opened and he smiled weakly. �Hello, Mr. Tanner,� he said quietly.
�Ezra!� Ophelia called, bounding across the room and throwing herself into his arms.
�Hello, darlin�,� he said softly, smoothing her rumpled hair.
Ophelia locked eyes with him and then said, �What kind of plant made you sick?�
Ezra smiled and then sighed. Looking up at Chris and the others, who had gathered just inside the room, he said, �I don�t know for certain but� I started feeling unwell late yesterday. Right after a bouquet had been delivered to the set.�
�For you?� Chris asked gently.
Standish shook his head. �No,� he replied. �It was for Miss Felicity Woods. She plays Amanda Loyala, Quentin Masters� love interest on the show.�
Chris nodded and asked, �Is she a magician too?�
�Not so far as I know,� the southerner replied, shaking his head slightly. �I believe she has a psychic ability instead.�
�We�ll let you rest,� Josiah said. �We�ll stop by again later.�
Ezra smiled and nodded. �Thank you,� he whispered. �No one�s ever�� The sentence remained unfinished, as sleep overcame the exhausted man.
Chris nodded to Vin, who settled himself by the window. Then he turned to Buck and asked, �I want to stop by the set and speak to Miss Woods. What about J.D.?�
�What about him?� Buck asked, blinking in confusion.
�We can�t take him with us,� Vin argued.
Buck shrugged. �Why not? I�ll keep an eye on him,� he protested. �Besides, he loves that show. He�d be angry with me if I met the stars and he didn�t get to.�
Chris sighed and shook his head. �He�s your responsibility,� he stated firmly. When Buck nodded, the three men and the child left for Northlake Studios.
**
As with the last time he�d visited the studio, Chris showed his Agency identification card and was directed to where he could find Felicity Woods. When they found her, she was standing outside her trailer with the star of the show, Trenton Lark.
�Hello,� Lark said softly, squinting at Chris. �I�ve seen you at the Agency, haven�t I?�
�Yes,� Larabee said, nodding. �We were actually interested in speaking with Miss Woods, if we could.�
�Sure,� both actors replied. Trenton grinned and stepped to one side.
�What can I do for you?� Felicity asked, eying the taller man.
Buck frowned. �You received a bouquet of flowers yesterday?� he asked.
�You got flowers?� Trenton broke in, grinning. �You never get flowers, Lissy!�
Felicity rolled her eyes and then looked up at Buck. �Yes, I did,� she answered him, ignoring Trenton�s comment. �Why would that interest Shynian Intelligence?�
�Those flowers made a friend of ours sick,� Josiah answered. �We were wondering if you knew who sent them.�
�No,� the woman replied, scowling. �Can I ask who�s sick?�
�Ezra Standish,� Chris answered. �As you know, he�s the head writer for the show. The pollen seems to have given him some kind of allergic reaction.�
Trenton frowned and suddenly became quite serious. �Ezra�s a magician, isn�t he?� he asked.
�Yeah,� Buck replied. �But he already told us that Miss Felicity isn�t any type of mage.�
�That�s correct,� Trenton replied. �However ��
�There�s a however?� Chris asked.
Trenton smiled mirthlessly and nodded. �I�m a shape-shifter,� he stated softly.
Chris� eyes narrowed. �So you may have been the target all along,� he guessed.
Lark shrugged. �I have made a great many enemies through my work with the Agency,� he stated. �The guards are very careful with what they allow through if it�s directed at me.�
Buck sighed. �But they didn�t think anyone would send something to Miss Woods to get to you.�
Trenton shook his head. �Apparently not,� he sighed. Looking up at Chris, he said, �I am sorry to hear that Ezra is sick. Is he going to be all right?�
�We don�t know yet,� Chris answered sadly. Turning to Felicity, he said, �We need to see that bouquet. There may be a clue as to what it is or who sent it.�
�Of course,� Woods said, nodding. �It�s in my trailer,� she added, pointing at the door to the little building they were standing in front of.
�I�ll just� stay back here,� Trenton mumbled, taking a few steps away.
As Chris and Josiah followed Felicity, Buck turned to Trenton and smiled. �Don�t suppose I could get an autograph for the little guy, here,� he said softly. �He�s a big fan of the show.�
Trenton grinned and then looked down at J.D., who was shyly hiding behind his uncle. �You like my show?� he asked softly.
J.D. smiled and nodded. �I like how you catch the bad guys and help the nice people,� the boy said excitedly.
Trenton chuckled. �I have a lot of fun acting,� he admitted. �It�s far safer than the work I do for the Agency.� Pulling out a pen and a notepad, he added, �Pays better too.�
Buck blinked. �You get paid for working with the Agency?� he asked.
Trenton shook his head and said, �I only know one person who gets paid to be a spy and it�s a full time job for him.�
�Chris gets paid,� Buck said, nodding slightly.
�Hmm,� Trenton said, handing the autograph to J.D. He smiled and ruffled the boy�s hair; then turned to his uncle. �Then I know two people.�
Buck chuckled. �I guess it�s near impossible to pay people to work for an organization that nearly everyone is part of, huh,� he stated.
Trenton shrugged and smiled. �That�s true, I suppose,� he said. �Intelligence is our national industry, so they can only afford to pay the people in positions of authority or with very specialized jobs.�
**
While Buck and Trenton chatted outside, Josiah and Chris were trying to get whatever clues they could from their only piece of evidence. Josiah was looking at the bouquet, while Chris checked out the card. �I�ll give this to Buck,� he said softly. �Maybe he can get some fingerprints or trace evidence off of it that will tell us who sent it.�
Josiah nodded. �This flower,� he said softly, pointing at a large, particularly fragrant bloom. �I�d be willing to bet that it�s the one that made Ezra sick.�
Chris nodded and took a few pictures of the bouquet, then picked it up carefully and placed it in a large plastic bag. Turning to Felicity, he said, �Did you see the person who delivered it?�
Felicity shrugged. �A guard brought it to me,� she said softly. �He would be the one to ask about who delivered it to the studio.�
Chris thanked her and, after getting the guard�s name, they pair left her trailer. �Tell Ezra that I hope he feels better,� she said, as she showed them out.
�We will,� Josiah promised.
Chris handed the two evidence bags to Buck and said, �We have to go speak with the guard that brought the flowers. He may be able to give us a description of the person who left them.�
�Okay,� Buck said, nodding. �You want me to go on ahead and begin processing these?�
Chris nodded in affirmation. Trenton pointed to the large fragrant blossom Josiah had noted earlier, saying, �That flower is called a Golden Nightblossom. They�re known to disrupt auras in mages, especially those whose aura is sensitive.�
�Thank you,� Chris said, half-smiling. �That confirms what Josiah suspected.�
Josiah nodded. �Do you have a sensitive aura, Mr. Lark?� he asked softly.
�Not especially, no,� he admitted. �But ��
�He�s one of Keenan�s aides,� Chris said, his eyes widening in realization. �And Keenan�s aura is very sensitive.�
Trenton nodded. �Nightblossom pollen is very� sticky. If you get some on your hands or in your clothes, it�s almost impossible to remove completely and it would only take a little to set off someone as sensitive as Keenan is.�
�Now we have an idea who the real target was,� Chris said, grinning. �We just need to find out who is targeting him.�
�Find out the �why� and the �who� will follow,� Josiah advised.
Chris glared for a moment and then sighed. �That actually makes sense, in a strange sort of way,� he mumbled. �The problem is, with Keenan, there are a lot of possible reasons why he�d be a target.�
Buck nodded and said, �I�ll start processing these. Talking to that guard might give us a direction to go.�
�On it,� Chris said, nodding.
Buck smiled at J.D. and said, �Ya wanna come with me to the lab, little guy?�
�Yeah!� J.D. exclaimed.
�Okay,� his uncle replied, taking his hand. �Just remember, you get to watch me work, but you can�t touch anything.�
�I�ll remember, Uncle Buck,� the eight-year-old answered.
**
A few hours later, Chris appeared in the lab, with a sketch of their suspect. �Hey,� he said to Buck. �Anything on the flower or the card yet?�
Buck sighed. �I got some prints off the card,� he answered. �We need to go to the florist it came from to see if the prints are only from employees. Even then, someone may remember something.�
Chris frowned slightly. �Are there actually florists that carry this type of flower?� he asked.
�Don�t know,� Buck said. �I�m running a check now.� Smiling, he asked. �Do you have anything?�
Larabee nodded and set the sketch down. �That�s the guy who dropped the flowers off. Hopefully, he�s either our suspect or he can lead us to the real suspect.�
�Could help either way,� Buck answered.
�Yeah,� Chris agreed. �Any word on Ezra�s condition?� When Buck shook his head, Larabee sighed and said, �Josiah went to the hospital to relieve Vin and visit Ezra. He may know more than he was able to tell us before.�
�What are you going to do?� Buck asked.
Chris smiled. �Once I find out where the flower came from, I�ll be able to tell you,� he answered.
**
Josiah peered into the darkened room that Ezra was in. Vin was sitting on the windowsill, watching over his friend and Ophelia, who were asleep on the bed.
�Hello, Brother,� Josiah whispered.
Vin smiled. �Hey,� he greeted softly. Nodding to Ophelia, he said, �Kid�s exhausted.�
Josiah nodded. �It�s been a long day,� he agreed. �How�s Ezra?�
Vin shrugged. �The same I think,� he answered uncertainly. �He doesn�t seem any better, but at least he doesn�t seem worse.�
Josiah nodded again and stepped over to the bed. �Ezra?� he called gently, lightly shaking the sleeping agent�s shoulder.
Ezra moaned and his eyes opened. After a moment, they focused on Josiah and he smiled weakly. �Hello, Josiah,� he whispered.
�Hello, Brother,� Josiah answered, sighing deeply. �How are you feeling?�
�Tired.�
�Then I�ll make this short,� Josiah answered. �I told Nathan already and he�s checking things out, but now I�ll ask you. Do you know anything about Golden Nightblossom? Have you heard of it before?�
�N-nightblossom?� Ezra whispered, nodding slightly. �I�m really allergic,� he said softly. �It would definitely be enough to set my aura askew.�
�You�ve seen it before?� Vin asked.
Ezra shook his head. �Mother got some of the pollen on her once and I was exposed,� he admitted. �I very nearly died. There was only one thing that saved me.�
�What?� Josiah asked, finally hearing some really good news.
�Peaches,� Ezra replied, grinning weakly.
As the two men looked at his curiously, a familiar voice said, �Something in peaches acts as an aural stabilizer.�
�Nathan,� Josiah stated, grinning. �Will it really help?�
The healer nodded. �I don�t know why I didn�t think of it before,� he admitted. Then he frowned slightly. �Well, actually� I do,� he added. �It�s because it�s normally only used for people with a very specific genetic illness.�
�Stenoluchen Syndrome,� Ezra sighed.
Nathan blinked in surprise. �You�ve heard of it?� he asked in surprise.
Ezra nodded. �I have it,� he answered in a very soft voice. �I�m not often affected by it, but when I am��
�Peaches help,� Nathan finished. Nodding to himself, he said, �I�ll make sure we start you on some peach tea,� he stated, leaving the room.
Josiah sighed deeply and said, �You should have told us earlier.�
Ezra smiled weakly at the scolding tone in his friend�s voice. �I tried to,� he countered. �Then I fell asleep.�
**
�Well,� Buck said, looking down at the read-out. �It looks like there is only one source for any type of Nightblossom.�
�And that is?� Chris prompted.
Buck smirked. �The Royal Herbarium,� the agent replied. �No way those flowers came from any florist.�
Chris nodded and pulled out his cell phone. �Josiah,� he said softly. �I want you and Vin to go to the Royal Herbarium and show the picture around. See if anyone recognizes him.�
�What are you going to do?� Josiah asked.
�Buck and I are going to see Keenan,� he answered. �He may recognize the person as well. In any case, he needs to be told that his life could be in danger.�
�Right,� Josiah agreed. �About Ezra ��
�Is he alright?� Chris interrupted, his voice full of concern.
�He will be,� the former preacher replied. �Once Nathan knew exactly what he was dealing with, he knew how to treat Ezra�s condition. In a few days, Ezra will be up and around again.�
�That�s good to hear,� Chris answered softly. Hanging up, he looked at Buck and said, �Ezra�s going to be fine.�
Buck grinned and then turned to J.D. Turning to Chris, he asked, �Who am I going to leave him with while we go talk to Keenan?�
Chris shrugged. �Keenan�s twins are near J.D.�s age,� he answered. �Bring him along.�
Buck nodded and said, �Come on, pard.�
�Okay, Uncle Buck,� J.D. answered happily. �Does this mean I get to play with Cory and Tory?�
Buck blinked and asked, �Cory and Tory� your little friends from school are the princess and the prince?� When the boy nodded, Buck turned to Chris in shock. �I had no idea,� he whispered.
Chris shook his head and chuckled. �Let�s get out of here.�
�Right,� Buck answered, taking J.D.�s hand.
**
Vin and Josiah arrived at the Royal Herbarium a short while later. Vin stepped inside the large foyer and glanced around. He pointed towards the reception desk and Josiah nodded. As they made their way over, he asked, �Why�ve they got something so dangerous here anyway?�
�Well, brother,� Josiah said. �It�s because a Herbarium tries to have as many different plant samples on hand as possible. Some of them are even the type specimens for their variety.�
�Oh,� Vin replied, his wings flapping a couple times in irritation. He cleared his throat loudly, earning the attention of the receptionist. �Can we ask you a few questions?� he said gently.
The receptionist frowned. �Can I ask who you are?� he replied, raising an eyebrow.
Josiah rolled his eyes and pulled out his identification badge. �Josiah Sanchez,� he said gently. �This is Vin Tanner. We�re from the Agency, investigating a case where Golden Nightblossom was used to� assault someone.�
�Oh,� the man said, his eyes widening. He turned thoughtful for a moment, then he said, �Well, I�m sure Dr. Adams would know more about that than I do.� Without waiting for a response, he picked up his phone and dialed a number. �Dr. Adams, there are two intelligence agents here that need to speak with you� yes, sir� all right.�
The receptionist hung up the phone and smiled. �Dr. Adams is in Greenhouse Three,� he said, pointing down a hallway.
�Thank you,� Josiah said, bowing politely.
Dr. Adams was a small woman with sandy blond hair pulled back in a high ponytail and gray eyes that were hidden behind thick glasses. She smiled wanly as the two men stepped into the greenhouse.
�Hello,� she greeted softly. �How can I help you?�
Josiah smiled and introduced himself and Vin once more. �Would know how a Golden Nightblossom might have gotten into a bouquet that was delivered to Northlake Studios?� he asked.
Dr. Adams frowned and shook her head. �Not for certain,� she answered. �Although we did have one of our potted specimens go missing recently.�
Vin chewed his lip thoughtfully and held out the sketch of their suspect. �Do you know this man?� he asked.
Dr. Adams took the picture and looked it over carefully. �Well,� she started uncertainly. �It might be Allen McKennitt, but I don�t know for sure.�
Vin nodded and Josiah asked, �When was the last time you saw McKennitt?� he asked.
Dr. Adams frowned and rolled her eyes. �He was here a couple days ago, cleaning out his desk,� she said. �King Allian had him transferred to a different facility.�
�He can do that?� Vin asked, his eyes widening.
The woman nodded and shrugged. �Normally, he wouldn�t have, except Allen was using the resources here for his own profit. He�s lucky all he ended up with was a transfer to the South Island Facility.�
�Thank you,� Josiah said, shaking Dr. Adams� hand. �You�ve been very helpful. Do you suppose we could have a photograph of McKennitt?�
�Sure,� she answered smiling warmly.
A short while later, the two agents were leaving. Once they showed the photo to the guard and he confirmed that it was the man he saw, they�d be that much closer to solving the case.
**
Meanwhile, Chris and Buck were waiting to meet with Keenan, who had been in a meeting when they arrived. One of the King�s aides had taken JD off to play with the royal twins a few minutes earlier, so at least he didn�t have to wait with his uncle and Chris.
Keenan peeked into the waiting room and smiled. �Sorry,� he apologized. �I�m afraid that couldn�t wait.�
Chris nodded. �Perfectly understandable,� he said firmly. �Keenan, we have reason to believe your life may be in danger.�
The older man frowned slightly and asked, �Why? From whom?�
�We don�t know yet,� Buck answered truthfully. �However, it seems like somebody from the Royal Herbarium might be involved. A flower than can only be found there was planted in a bouquet and delivered to someone close to you. The pollen from that flower is sticky and could have killed you if you�d gotten near it.�
�Whoa,� Keenan said, blinking slowly. Shaking his head slightly, he said, �The Royal Herbarium� I can�t think why anyone there would want me dead.�
Chris shook his head in frustration and asked, �Are you sure?� Before Keenan could reply, Chris� cell phone rang and he pulled it out. �This might be important,� he said, quickly before activating the phone.
�Hello?� he said.
�Chris,� Vin replied. �We just talked to guard and he confirmed something that Dr. Adams at the Herbarium said. Ask Keenan if he know someone named Allen McKennitt and where we can find him.�
�Allen McKennitt?� Chris repeated, he saw Keenan�s eyes widen in surprise and recognition and smiled tightly.
�I transferred him to the South Island Facility,� he said softly. �He was growing plants in one of the greenhouses and then manufacturing drugs from them.�
�That�s illegal,� Buck said, eyes widening.
Keenan shrugged. �The drugs he was making weren�t controlled substances,� he countered. �But he was using government property for personal gain, which is against most of our employment policies.�
Chris nodded. �Would he know about your reaction to Golden Nightblossom?� he asked. Keenan nodded mutely and Chris smiled.
�Do you know where he might be right now?� Buck asked.
Keenan�s eyes narrowed dangerously. �He�s supposed to be on a plane heading for South Island,� he growled.
�We�ll get him,� Chris said firmly.
Keenan nodded. �I�ll ground the plane,� he said, rushing to his phone.
**
Ezra sat up in bed as the door opened to emit the members of his team. �So?� he asked, grinning warmly.
Chris smiled back and said, �Good to see you feeling better.� When Ezra rolled his eyes and tilted his head expectantly, he added, �Allen McKennitt was still in his seat waiting for the plane to take off and wondering what the delay was.�
�Wonderful!� the southerner said, sighing in relief.
Vin nodded in agreement. �Bad as it was that you got sick,� he said. �We never would have known what the source of the poison was if it had gotten to Keenan.�
�Not only that,� Nathan put in. �But, as sick as it made you, it would have killed the king in a matter of moments.�
Ezra nodded and closed his eyes briefly. �Thankfully, we were able to avert that,� he said. Grinning broadly, he added, �And I have a week off from both my job at the Studio and my work for the Agency.�
Vin nodded. �We�re all just glad you�re going to be all right,� he said warmly.
The southerner blushed and looked down. When he looked up again, he had a gentle smile on his lips. �How about we all meet at my place for a nice meal?� he offered. �I � I want to thank you somehow for all your� concern.�
�We�d love that, brother,� Josiah said, patting the younger man�s hand.
�I�ll bring chili,� Chris said, grinning.
�I�ll bring the bread,� Vin stated.
Nathan nodded. �I can make a salad,� he said.
�I can bring dessert,� Buck said, to which JD cheered.
Ezra smiled and nodded. �I just need the doctor to sign my release papers and I can leave,� he said, looking pointedly at Nathan.
Jackson chuckled and signed the paperwork; then ushered the men out of the room. They all waved their goodbyes, promising to see him later. Once he was alone, Ezra sighed and shook his head.
Looking wistfully at the door, he said, �I�m lucky to have such good� friends.� Chuckling slightly, he hopped off the bed and quickly got dressed. He had a house to tidy before his friends arrived for the party later.
End.