Janus knew Ash wanted him to like it here more than he did. When they came here, Ash had asked the Queen, his mother, for a piano. Now the piano stood near the doors, sleek and shining darkly, reflected by all the mirrors. Janus tried not to look at it.

“You said you used to play once,” Ash offered when the piano came.

Ash seemed disappointed when Janus said he no longer remembered how.

Janus had imagined Ash would be happy and safe, back with his mother, but the Queen said Ash couldn’t stay at Court.

“I lost a daughter who will never return,” she’d told them, thorns in her voice. “I lost a son who returned past hope. I will never risk him again. He must be kept secret and secure.”

So Ash lived in this isolated house, this cliff-top palace, and Janus lived here with him. For now.

Janus didn’t like the idea of abandoning Ash to live in the New York Institute. But that was where Clary was.

Wherever you are is where I want to be.

Janus needed water to wash away the bitter taste in his mouth. He went to get it, and Ash followed him. Ash’s step was faerie soft and Shadowhunter trained, entirely noiseless, like having a pale shadow.

When Ash first came to Thule, Sebastian had been pleased. Sebastian had always liked the idea of blood binding someone to him. He’d seen it as a sign that he was doing everything right, that another world had delivered an heir to him, since in Thule, the Seelie Queen had died before she had ever given birth.

It pleased Sebastian’s vanity that Ash resembled him. Sebastian had thought that finally here was what he had always wanted: someone like him. Sebastian embraced Ash and allowed Janus to do the same. For a while Sebastian played with Ash, tried to teach him, but Sebastian grew tired of his toys quickly and broke them.

Sebastian had not been patient with Ash for some time before the end.

Once Sebastian had been training Ash, and Ash had made a mistake. Sebastian had gone for Ash with a whip.

Sebastian’s face was startled and offended when Janus moved between them and caught the lash between his hands. The whip split Janus’s palms open, and blood dappled the ground.

“Why not whip him? Father did it to me.” Sebastian’s voice was the whip now. “And I’m strong. He didn’t do it to you, and you were weak until I got my hands on you. I should do the best thing for my boy, shouldn’t I?”

Janus was already convinced. He should drop the whip and let Sebastian hurt Ash.

But his words were racing ahead of his thoughts, as if he couldn’t control them. “Of course. It’s just that there are so many things for you to do. Training a boy should be the general’s work, not the ruler’s. You are higher than this. You know I want only to serve you and never to fail you. Let me train him, and if he isn’t satisfactory, then the lash can be his guide.”