Chapter 226
Gelman plucked a flower out of the vase beside her bed. Not from the bouquet I'd brought. Mine were at least all alive. "Restore the azalea to its natural beauty."
"Is most infusion magic healing?" How boring. I exhaled a hard "oomph" like I'd been punched in the gut. My lungs started bubbling, going at it like a pot of water on full boil, getting larger and larger, pushing everything else inside me aside. I was going to pop.
"I'm infusing your lungs with air. Blowing them up like a balloon. Does that feel very healing?"
I flailed around until she released me, then rubbed my chest. "Can I learn that?"
"We'll see." She squeezed my hand and warmth unfurled inside me, taking the pain away.
The azalea sprig had only a single white-tipped pink bloom, brown curling one shriveled edge. I carefully took the wilted piece of compost...
...and two of its three remaining petals fluttered to the ground.
"Brilliant start."