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I nodded. "To keep you alive and well, I'd do anything. She's not going to hurt you, Basil. I mean it."

It wasn't much of an accomplishment, now that I was thinking about it. Mother was still one step ahead of me. Sure, she'd brought me the herb I needed, and I was propagating it without her knowledge, but she had also put this new fear and worry into my heart.

The fear of losing Basil.

No matter how hard I tried, she was always going to come out on top.

"You're thinking too loud, Zelle. Sharing is caring," Basil reminded me.

"I just don't know why I tried to play her game for so long," I said softly. "It's not designed to win."

Basil nodded solemnly. "I know it isn't, Zelle. I'm sorry, honey."

I sighed and went back to my plants. This had to work. It just had to. If I didn't get something for myself, what use was any of this?