Page 47 of Butterfly Effects

“You are no longer of high concern,” said Lybee, dismissively. “You may go about your business. Once you leave this room, the right of research is rescinded, and you will not be allowed reentry. Leave this dimension. You are no longer welcome here, Alice Price.”

The four of them turned then, storming out of the room without looking back.

Twelve

SARAH

“I don’t have much. But what’s mine is mine, and if you try to do it harm, well. You’ll learn why I’ve never needed much, either. A lady can do a lot of damage when she’s looking after everything that matters.”

—Frances Brown

In the home of Fetch and Carry, preparing to absolutely lose my shit

“WHAT.”

I was almost proud of myself for how calm I sounded. My mouth was dust and ashes, my eyes were burning coals, but my words? Oh, my words were calm as anything. If there had been a Miss Johrlar competition, I could have won the Congeniality Award.

Right before I shoved it up somebody’s ass. Okay, maybe I wasn’t that congenial.

Annalist didn’t appear to recognize the danger he was in.

“As the physical proof of your transgressions, this Arthur is entirely able to stand trial in your place,” he said. “He can be brought before a jury, who will consider him in his totality before passing their judgement against you. Of course, in your absence, they will be unable to take your motivations into consideration; he will be judged in isolation, which may or may not be to his benefit.”

“And what happens if they try him and find me guilty?”

“He will be destroyed, of course. The criminal may not benefit from the crime.”

The thought that the courts of Johrlar would consider Arthur to be me attempting to benefit in some way from what happened, rather than the living, breathing punishment for my actions, was almost hilarious. But Annalist wasn’t laughing, and it was clear from the grave way he was watching me that none of this was intended as a joke.

“No,” I said, pushing my salad aside untasted. “I won’t let that happen.”

He blinked, bewildered. “But your freedom is more important than his survival.”

“Oh? And why the hell is that?”

“You are a queen. He is not even Johrlac.”

“Species is not superiority.”

“But…” He stopped, clearly frustrated. “I believe this is a place where our upbringing differs sufficiently that there is no point in arguing. Please, however, listen as I tell you that some among us have been waiting for a queen capable of challenging the collective for a very long time. Longer than either you or I have been alive. If we are able to bring you into direct contact with the collective, on their own ground, you will be able to challenge them for supremacy, and if you win…” He paused for a moment, apparently lost in the sweet dreams of what would happen if I defeated the collective. “If you win, freedom for all who they control. Freedom for our continent. Perhaps, in time, freedom for our world.”

I stared at him, resisting the urge to snarl. It wouldn’t do any good, I knew; it was a reflex I had learned from Istas, and Sam, and the other therianthropes I had been spending time around. Their instincts told them that snarling at danger would drive it away, and I had picked up on that, and Annalist wouldn’t even be able to read the expression if I tried, and so I just swallowed it, one more hot coal to burn in the banked fire that was my gut.

“I’m not responsible for your freedom,” I said, keeping my voice as tight and level as I could. “I’m not responsible for anything to do with this damned dimension. You threw my ancestors out because they didn’t meld properly with your collective, and as far as I’m concerned, that’s the sort of thing that absolves me of needing to give a damn what you want me to do. I want Arthur back, and I want to go home.”

“If you go home before your name is cleared, they’ll simply come to collect you again, and we might not be able to release you a second time,” said Annalist. “It was only a combination of luck and timing that allowed us to remove you from custody; expecting the same sequence of events to occur again would be either arrogant or foolish, depending on how we wanted to address the matter.”

“I don’t care,” I said, coldly. “These people have no authority over me. I didn’t fight this time because they took me by surprise. They won’t take me by surprise again.” I stood, leaving my salad behind. “I am not interested in solving all your world’s issues. I am not interested in saving your people. I want my people, and I want to go home.”

“If you want to save your people and return to your home, you will need to face the collective and you will need to win, or you will never know peace again.”

Annalist looked at me levelly. “I am offering you a way out of this. I am offering you an escape. If you have any wisdom left in you after your upbringing, you will take what I am offering, and you will utilize it to win.”

I stared at him until he turned his face away.

“Eat your salad,” he said. “If you’re worried for your friend, eat to protect him. You will need calories to keep your mind operating correctly, and you will need every ounce of strength that you can muster to have a prayer against them.”

“Them who?”