032: Guard Duty

[Ona]

I couldn't stop them. There was nothing I could do.

As I fell to the ground, stunned by the hit I received to the back of the neck, I watched helplessly as my sister in all things but blood, was poked and prodded, violated with wires and tubes, before being tossed into the fluid with my little brother, both of them now resting side by side.

It has been a week since I saw her body engulfed in that amber fluid. And even though their guards will not let me past the door now that my part is done, I am not free of the guilt or shame of how I contributed to this mess. I should have fled with Carnelia and the kids, stolen my brother away, and burned this all down. But Carnelia wanted us to go about this honestly, to act as queens and not as tyrants.

When I dare to close my eyes to sleep, all I can see is her look of terror right before the sedative took effect, wiping all expression from her face.

So I don't close my eyes and don't sleep. I can't sleep. I made the mistake of leav