Page 35 of Bone Year

I give them a quick wave. I’ve never been big on shaking hands or hugs. I’m not big on any physical touch really.

Unless it’s Jace.

“Zuri.” The angel inclines her head, her gray wings shifting slightly behind her. “Pleasure to meet you both.”

I can’t help focusing on the guy next to her. He’s hot, and I don’t mean in the rugged, sexy way. He’s pretty and pampered looking with tan skin and a neatly shaved face, a strong jaw, and short brown hair styled like he cares about his appearance. No less hot for it though.

“I’m Killian,” he says, smiling, and then his pupils change, narrowing to vertical slits that cut through his emerald-green eyes like cracks in glass.

I swallow.

He’s a demon, gorgeous, and seems like trouble.

“You’re the human, right?” He looks me up and down with open curiosity, like I’m a fascinating specimen he’s never encountered before.

I make an exasperated sound. “Yes, I am.” I’m already tired of that question, and it’s only my first day of classes. “Anyway, can one of you explain to me what an eidolon is?”

Their heads snap toward me.

“You don’t know what an eidolon is?” Lux says it like I’ve admitted I don’t know how to breathe.

I want to roll my eyes, because she knows I don’t know much about anything when it comes to this school. Everything here is new and strange, and no one bothered to give me a handbook.

“You’ve seen some students with animals around campus, right?” Zuri asks, and I nod.

Elizabeth had the bat perched on my bed when we first met. And Draven was with that gigantic black wolf when I first saw him across the creepy garden with statues, though I haven’t seen it since.

“Are they pets?” I ask. “Do we get to pick a pet to keep us company or something?”

Zuri’s eyes widen like I’ve said something blasphemous. “No, eidolons are not pets. They are externalized soul fragments.”

I wait for her to continue because I have no idea what that means, but it’s Lux who speaks up.

“Ashwell’s core takes a piece of your essence and shapes it into symbolic form.” She says it like she’s reciting something she’s known her whole life. “They can appear when emotionally triggered or whenever you want them to. They assist you instinctively. It’s like a pet but far more intimate. It’s bonded to you, tied to your soul, your essence, for life.”

I’m not sure my mind is grasping it yet. How will the core current in this school extract a piece of my essence and merge it with a creature? What does that even feel like?

Zuri must see the confused look in my eyes. “You can think of your eidolon as a pet if that makes it easier to understand, but it’s a pet that can appear and disappear at will. It will be able to understand you and know you in a way no one else can because you’ll be connected on a deeper level.”

“The type of eidolon you get is supposed to represent your strengths too,” Killian adds. “The school already knows what you’ll excel at, and they give you an eidolon accordingly.”

Those slit pupils catch the low light as he turns his head. “But you don’t have current. You’ve probably never used current in your life, and an eidolon has never been given to a human before, so...maybe you’ll be the first bone year death tonight.”

I refrain from jabbing him with my elbow. Barely.

“Real reassuring,” I grit out. “I can’t wait.”

He smiles, showing off his perfect teeth. “Don’t worry, little human.” He leans in slightly, close enough that I catch the faint scent of something smoky. “I’m sure it will only hurt a lot.”

“Killian,” Zuri warns, but she’s laughing too.

“What?” He straightens, all false innocence. “I’m being supportive.”

“You’re being an ass,” Lux mutters, and I decide I like her even more.

“I guess we’ll find out tonight if humans can even have eidolons,” Zuri says, not unkindly.

Killian opens his mouth, probably to deliver another charming comment about my impending death, but we’ve reached the front of the line, and Nestor waves us forward impatiently.