Empress of Forever

by Max Gladstone

Just don’t listen to your blood, she told herself, or your gut, don’t listen to all the self-preservation instincts dumb generations hammered into you—none of your primate ancestors would have made it this far.

Energy spent regretting a decision was best redirected toward addressing its consequences.

You didn’t grow past the old things, just enclosed them like rings in a tree, so someone feeling the bark of you could suss out your old scars.