In a few more months, it will be a year since he'd arrived, fresh with the memory of Persephone's death, facedown in a scrying bowl. How much has he changed since then? Adam's not sure if it's the natural passage of time or because he's friends with miracles to have changed so much in a year.

"I'll be nineteen. Older than you, Ronan." It's not much of a joke. Even before, his birthday had been before Ronan's. Which is funny, because everything about him had always seemed older to Adam.

"So have you, Ronan. You've been a twelve-year-old, judging by your behavior."