And I was trained in deception, manipulation, and control.

"That wasn't bold," she said instead. "If you hadn't been here to see it, you wouldn't have known what was done." She gestured to the plant with her hand. "See for yourself." The sort of magic she'd just used left no trace.

"All magic comes with a price." The way she said it, the air resounded with an unspoken word, as though she or someone else had used the phrase often but didn't traditionally end it there. "I learned to do what's needed as efficiently as possible."