"I THINK IT'S TIME," Auston said, walking into the training room. Mom was monitoring us as we practiced throwing punches and kicks, using our powers on each other. I used mind control on some of my fellow Evolutians, making them do stupid things like acting like a dog and chasing others around like they were squirrels. Mom surprisingly let me continue.

"Are you sure?" Mom asked him. "I still don't think-" She glances at me. This probably involves me. Everything the Institute does involves me.

"What? Why are you looking at me?" I asked. "What are yo dragging me in this time."

Mom turned back to her boss. "Auston, we should really talk this through."

"I've sent a letter to the royal family. They should be aware of our arrival tonight."

Royal family? Tonight? Are we actually returning to the palace and are they actually dragging me back after everything I've done? Even if we are, why?

"We should talk about this in your office." Mom stood up, brushing off the dust on her white coat. She and Auston started to head out the door.

"Wait." I shot up, my hands crossed in front of me. "I'm coming with you. You have to tell me what's going on. Why are we going to the palace?"

The adults just stop and stare. It took a while for them to respond, and it wasn't the one I wanted.

"I think someone wants to talk with you," Auston states, pointing behind me. I turn around, seeing Sofia there, a small smile on her face. Her long blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail, yet there were strands covering her face and she wore the Institute's logo on her chest.

"Sof, you want to come?" I asked the girl, not wanting to be left out of the conversation with them or leave the girl alone. "You have to promise to keep everything a secret, okay?"

"Sure!" The girl said excitedly. I looked back at Mom and Auston, a scowl now on their faces. They continued to walk to one of their offices.

Sofia kept a close distance away from me, stepping on the back of my shoes more than a few times. She seemed amazed by everything in the building, from the technologies to the glass ceilings. I could hear a faint "wow" every now and then, making me smile a bit.

Mom unlocked the door to her office, which was buried in files and stray papers. She cleared off a chair for her and Auston, leaving me to stand. Sofia took a seat in one of the piles of sheets.

"Okay, what is this about?" I asked, leaning against the wall. "What is it time for and what do you want from me this time."

"Lauren, we really don't need to tell you all this in full detail. You'll be under mind control the whole time, anyway," Auston said.

"I hate how you can say that so casually," I said, trowing my arms out. "The people I use mind control on on a daily basis don't know what I'm doing to them, and you just casually say "oh, we're going to activate this device in your mind that will make you do everything we want you to do" and for some reason, I'm totally okay with that." I pause, trying to catch my breath.

"We tell you so you know what's going on and you won't try to break out of it," Mom says. "Soon, when you learn to accept that the Institute is doing this for the better, you won't be needing it. You'll be running this place, as well as the kingdom, and the whole world for that matter, and all the decisions will be coming from your head."

I look at her with confusion. Half the things she said made no sense to me. "Excuse me, what? Me, running the Institute? The kingdom too?"

"That's what tonight is for," Auston explained. "Tonight, we will ask - more like force - the royals to accept the union of you and Prince Tyson."

Marriage? No, no freaking way. "You can't force me into this. This is my life." I turn to my mother. "Mom, I'm seventeen! I can't get married. You can't force me into a future I don't want!" I think about what she just said again. "And what does marrying Tyson have any affect on this. No one knows he's a prince. And how does this make me rule the whole world?"

"We're just getting the two of you engaged, sweetie. The wedding won't happen until you're older - at least over eighteen," Mom assures. She then turns to Sofia. "Sofia, can you tell Lauren which countries your dad has power over?"

"Um..." She puts a finger to her lips. "All of them."

"All of them?" I asked, turning to my mom. "All of them? Controlled by this kingdom?"

"Yes, and soon by you," She said, pursing her lips.

"But... Tyson. He's..."

"That's one of the things we're going to threaten them with tonight," Auston spoke up. "If they don't sign the contract, then we'll tell everyone the truth. We have DNA evidence to prove with." Of course. Auston was Tyson's "dad" for a short while, surely he had some way of knowing who his parents were before him and Grace.

"That won't solve anything, will it? The kingdom still doesn't know who Tyson is."

"After the death of the King, he's going to be the one that has to stand up. He's the crown prince," Auston explained.

How stupid can the royal family be? If they were trying to keep him away from the public, why make him the next king?

"You can't make me do this," I said in a small voice, knowing it wasn't true.

"You know we can." Auston's vibrant green eyes met mine. The specks in his eyes showed no sign of giving in. There was no way he'd back out of this

If I could just get into his head and really, really concentrate...

"Your mother can help you get ready... Sofia, you can go choose a dress for her."

The girl's face lit up, though after hearing the conversation, I bet she wasn't too fond of what was going to happen between me and her brother. Tyson wouldn't really go through with this, would he? I mean... he did let me take his little sister without anyone knowing...

Mom strapped an arm around me, holding me close as we walked out of her office. "It's been a while since you gained consciousness - surely you know what the city is named."

I shook my head. Wow, I don't even know the name of the city I'm in, and I'm supposed to be queen.

"Imperium. And you know what that means?"

I shook my head again.

"Absolute power."

- - -

Sofia chose a navy blue, lace dress that didn't have anything to cover my shoulders but had sleeves that went down my arms, if that made any sense. A braid was woven into my hair and I tossed a sweater over my outfit, even though Mom insisted I don't wear anything else. I didn't feel complete without something wrapped over me.

I sat across from Mom and Auston in the limo in silence. The other Evolutians are out, wrecking havoc in the city, as well as across the country. Taking kids, killing everyone else. That's all they do.

It happens around the world, though I don't really pay attention to what happens everywhere else. I'm here, even if I don't want to. I wish I was just living in Paris, like everyone thought I did before I surprised everyone earlier in the year.

The adults in front of me were having a quiet conversation that I wasn't aloud to hear. They forced me to tune out, knowing that I'd hear if they didn't do something. I was stuck staring at the window, my own green eyes staring back.

Green. Vibrant green, meaning that even if I tried to resist, it wouldn't be easy.

The vehicle came to a slow stop. We were here, at the castle. But not quite, as we were trapped outside the gates.

"Boss, we aren't allowed in, apparently," The driver said through the intercom.

"Don't worry, I got this." I unbuckled my seatbelt and stepped outside. The guard immediately noticed me. Probably recognized me.

I knocked him out, which didn't take much effort. The other one was ready to get on me, but was nervous to fight. A bullet of lightning escaped from the tip of my fingers and shocked him. Figuratively and literally. With a hand pressed on the keypad, a wave of electricity spread through my fingers, disabling the device. I pushed the doors open on my own before getting back in the car.

We drove another few minutes to the entrance of the building. The door was opened, this time by the driver, and the three of us stepped out.

I didn't want to walk in. Not again. Not when everyone is expecting it.

Mom was on my left, Auston on my right. They walked ahead, with me following close behind. The doors this time was opened, welcoming us inside. I really wished they wouldn't let us in. I could use something, or someone, to punch right now.

We walked inside and three men were right there, waiting for us. The King, Aidan's father, and Dad. Though they were dressed in suits, they we a mess. Ties undone, hair unbrushed, and tiredness filled their eyes.

Dad was the first to speak and uttered only a few words.

"Julianna... why?"