Page 61 of House of Kallan
Behind me, Lazarus chuckled.
“Monsters often live in large families, usually families of their class,” I said.
The kids looked at each other as if someone else might know what I was talking about. “Which part was confusing?” I asked as I lowered myself to the floor and sat on the mat.
“All of it,” Solana said.
“Ah. Okay. How about story time? Come gather around little darlings and let me tell you about what life is like for a supernatural.”
The room moved at once as the kids climbed out of their dens and joined us in the middle of the room. There were blankets wrapped around bodies and stuffed animals in arms. I smiled at the way they all looked at me with wide eyes and eagerness. The trust they had already given me in such a short time meant everything. I was doing something right.
“Let’s begin with classes. It means that some monsters are alike in their most basic elements. The innermostthingthat defines them. So…” I looked around the room. “Let’s turn this into a game first. Everyone who affiliates with water. If you have gills or fins or tentacles, anything that makes you an expert in water, I’m going to have you sit in that corner right there.”
Four kids got up and moved. They looked at each other with smiles as they gathered close.
“Very good. Can anyone tell me what class they are?” I asked.
“Water?”
“Yes. We refer to your class as sea monsters, whether your water domain is fresh or salt.” Turning back to the others, I said, “Next, anyone who has to do with air. Do you have wings? Feathers? Can you fly? Move to that corner.”
There were three of them.
“What’s their class?”
“Air?”
“Birds.”
“Very good. Aerial. Next, let’s do something hot. Anyone who can control, manipulate, start or stop, or set themselves on fire, move to this corner.”
Eight moved. Eight! This was a fascinating experience.
“Fire!” one of them said, grinning widely.
“Yes. Fire monsters. The last common element would be earth. Can you move, manipulate, or otherwise control the earth? Either in this state or another? Sit over in the last corner.”
One child moved and looked concerned. He curled in tightly to himself. Lazarus moved from where he was standing to sit with him. “It’s all good, buddy. You’re definitely not alone, even if you’re the only one in this room right now.”
The boy smiled.
“Next, let’s do anyone who can turn into an animal of any kind. I’m going to have you move to that wall.”
Seven moved.
“Okay, this gets a little more complicated. I’m going to further break down the shifters. If you turn into anything that resembles a dog—hyena, kitsune, elemental, and so on—scootchto the side a bit.” Two did. “Now, do any of you turn into something that swims or flies?”
One little girl said that she turned into a dragon. The room looked at her with wide eyes.
“You’re going to go to the fire class, honey.”
She grinned and moved to her appropriate corner.
“I am a horse.”
“Do you have wings or a horn?” I asked.
He nodded. “Horn.”
