"I... it was my stepfather," he started, ignoring Alec's softly uttered 'What?'. "He was, well... you already know he wasn't the best person to have ever lived. He would, sometimes, when he felt particularly... disgusted by me, let's say, he could... you know, beating me, of course, was easier, but... fire purifies..." he added quietly. "And fire was fitting to threaten a demon's spawn."