It feltlike an eon had passed since I last spoke to my brothers. But the situation had reached a point where I felt like Ihadto talk to somebody.
Alaric's early morning fury was a blessing in disguise. Filming didn't start for a few hours, so I had time to kill. I hoped Taylor was faring well in whatever warfare Alaric waged on him...
I landed in front of the castle, shifted, then crept inside. I knew about half of my brothers would still be out cold this early in the morning, but thankfully the one I wanted to speak with was an early riser.
I found Jade's door in the library wing and knocked gently. "Hey. You awake?"
My brother opened the door. The ever-present smell of books wafted from inside, along with notes of English breakfast tea.
"Crimson," Jade said, his brows rising above his glasses. "I'm surprised to see you here."
"Me, too." I glanced over my shoulder to make sure no nosy interlopers were around.
Sensing my paranoia, Jade gestured for me to come inside. I was too restless to sit in one of the many armchairs, so I paced by the big reading nook window. Morning light reflected off the waves, but most of the island hadn't yet woken.
"I have to speak to you about something important," I said. "And I don't trust most of our lizard-brained kin to be mature about it."
Jade sounded amused. "I'm flattered. What's going on?"
I hesitated. It wasn't that I didn't want to tell Jade the truth. I knew I'd feel better once it was out, but it felt daunting to confess that I'd fallen in love with a contestant after being so vehemently against this whole reality TV idea. It was embarrassing.
"You're usually not one to be shy," Jade remarked, tilting his head. "Is something bothering you, Crimson?"
"Honestly? No. But I'm afraidI'mbeing a bother."
Jade took a sip of his tea. "How so?"
I leaned against the window and sighed. It was better to just get it out.
"I'm in love with Taylor," I said.
A silent beat passed. Jade put his tea down. The clink of the china felt loud in the quiet room.
"You... you are?" Jade asked, as if he hadn't heard correctly.
It wasn't like Jade to sound unsure of anything. He must've been startled by my confession.
"Yes."
"Are you sure?"
The hairs on the back of my neck rose. "Positive," I growled.
Jade realized I was serious. His brows rose and he sat back in his chair. "I see." A slow, genuine smile spread over his face. "Crimson, that's wonderful!"
I sighed again, some of the anxiety leaving me. "Thank you."
"So what's the problem?" Jade asked.
I gestured to the beach. "That."
"The billion grains of sand?"
"You know what I mean."
Jade took a thoughtful sip of tea. "Ah. The Dragonfate Games."
"The whole thing has been nothing but a headache," I grumbled.
