Ash: Chapters 9–12

by Malinda Lo
Ash is under the thumb of a heartless stepmother and torn between a promise to the menacing fairy Sidhean and her feelings for Kaisa, the king's huntress. Learn these words from Malinda Lo's lyrical retelling of the Cinderella story.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–4, Chapters 5–8, Chapters 9–12, Chapters 13–16, Chapters 17–21

Here are links to our lists for other works by Malinda Lo: Huntress, The Fox
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. sabotage
    destroy property or hinder normal operations
    That afternoon Ana was in a mighty temper, complaining that Ash had forgotten the lace mantle that was to be worn over the purple velvet bodice, and when Ash found it wedged mysteriously behind the dressing table, Ana fumed that Ash was out to sabotage her.
  2. livery
    a uniform, especially worn by servants and chauffeurs
    Gwen said, “This is Colin; he'll let you borrow his old liveries.”
  3. massive
    imposing in size or bulk or solidity
    A massive bonfire was burning at the center, which had been emptied of market stalls and was now filled with revelers in costumes of all colors and kinds.
  4. bestow
    give as a gift
    The riders were dressed all in black with cloaks lined in shining white silk, and the revelers around Ash whispered excitedly to each other that it was the Royal Hunt, come to bestow the King’s favors upon them.
  5. festivity
    any joyous diversion
    She made her way out of the crowd toward the edge of the Square, where she stood with her back to a cold brick wall and watched the festivities.
  6. magnificent
    characterized by grandeur
    They were chattering excitedly about the beautiful ladies and handsome lords they had seen that night, the magnificent spread that had been laid out on the silver-and-mahogany buffet in the great hall of the palace, and the skill of the musicians who had played such wonderful music.
  7. persist
    refuse to stop
    “I mean, do you want him to be tall, dark, fair, a butler, a merchant?” Gwen persisted.
  8. bliss
    a state of extreme happiness
    Good Lysara, play thy part
    Send to me my own sweetheart
    Show me such a happy bliss
    This night of him to have a kiss.
  9. steadfast
    firm and dependable especially in loyalty
    During her short reign as Queen, the people had grown to love her dearly, for she was the embodiment of true love, steadfast and sweet.
  10. stoke
    (of a fire) stir up or tend
    She stoked the fire, and as the flames leapt up she remembered the bonfire, and the dancers, and the look on the huntress’s face.
  11. cinder
    a fragment of incombustible matter left after a fire
    She was half-dreaming about horses and hounds and a leaping white stag when the last log on the fire cracked, sending cinders crashing through the grate.
  12. anxious
    causing or fraught with or showing nervousness
    She felt anxious and twitchy, and as she walked all the events of the past week flooded through her mind: dressing Ana for the masque; the rain of gold coins at the bonfire; the words of Gwen’s girlish spell.
  13. specific
    stated explicitly or in detail
    But when Ash tried to demand a more specific answer, she felt her mother slip away from her as if she were made of melting snow, and when she held her tighter, there was only the tombstone beneath her hands.
  14. guttural
    like the sounds of frogs and crows
    Her voice sounded ugly and guttural to her ears, and she did not feel like herself.
  15. ecstasy
    a state of elated bliss
    Some people said that girls who were tempted to enter fairy rings lost all of their humanity from the ecstasy of the dancing.
  16. splendor
    a quality that outshines the usual
    All around the dancing circle, men and women — no, these were fairies in their unearthly splendor — lay on cushions, crystal goblets in hand.
  17. translucent
    allowing light to pass through diffusely
    One of the fairy women came toward her, her skin nearly translucent it was so pale, her eyes hard like sapphires, but the smile on her face was entrancing.
  18. lilting
    characterized by a buoyant rhythm
    In a lilting voice she asked, “Why are you so sad, little girl? We are all joy here.”
  19. superfluous
    serving no useful purpose; having no excuse for being
    Ash couldn’t answer, because her grief and anger now seemed so superfluous in comparison to the perfection of this fairy woman, who took her hand to lead her into the dancing circle.
  20. restrain
    hold back
    Then Ash felt someone take her other hand and pull her back away from the dancing girls, and the fairy woman turned to look at who had restrained her.
  21. intoxicating
    extremely exciting
    “You’re hurting me,” she gasped, but he would not stop moving until they were well removed from that place and she could no longer hear the intoxicating music.
  22. vehemence
    intensity or forcefulness of expression
    Perhaps her vehemence cleared away the last of the glamour, because Ash suddenly saw him staring intently at her, and for the first time the skin and bones of his face were knit together into one, and he looked — to her astonishment — like he was worried.
  23. overwhelming
    so strong as to be irresistible
    It was overwhelming in its intensity, and she felt as though she could not breathe.
  24. reluctant
    not eager
    He pulled away from her slowly, as if reluctant to let her go, and when she opened her eyes he had turned away.
  25. withdraw
    pull back or move away or backward
    “It is not time,” he said, and she felt him withdrawing from her.
  26. rustic
    awkwardly simple and provincial
    “What do you know of anything but the country? Isn’t that where those stupid fairy stories come from? I know you still read them — crouching all covered in soot on the hearth because you’re too rustic to know how to sit in the parlor. You must still believe that they are real and not merely tall tales for children.”
  27. traipse
    walk or tramp about
    Her stepsister continued, “You traipse around the house thinking you’re too good for us — I know you do. I’ve seen the way you look at us, the way you look at me.
  28. archaic
    so extremely old as seeming to belong to an earlier period
    You are nothing more than a low country girl who believes in archaic superstitions. You’ll never become more than that, Aisling.
  29. upbraid
    express criticism towards
    Ash went about her work in silence as Ana upbraided her about her poor cooking skills, the invisible layer of dust on the dining room table, the unevenness of her stitching on their stockings.
  30. criticism
    disapproval expressed by pointing out faults or shortcomings
    The constant criticism grated on her nerves, and as soon as she could escape — on an afternoon when Ana and Clara and Lady Isobel went into the City — she fled the house.
  31. impulsive
    without forethought
    “I’ve seen you before,” Ash said impulsively, and blushed.
  32. awkward
    socially uncomfortable; unsure and constrained in manner
    There was an awkward silence between them, and Ash looked down at the ground, studying the gradations of brown and the pattern of veins in the fallen leaves.
  33. clasp
    hold firmly and tightly
    She extended her gloved hand, and Ash reached out with her bare one and they clasped fingers firmly, and the huntress looked a bit confused.
  34. smug
    marked by excessive complacency or self-satisfaction
    Ana looked smug as she reported, “He has invited me — and you, of course, Mother, and Clara as well — to visit him at his country house in Royal Forge. For an entire week!”
  35. opaque
    not transmitting or reflecting light or radiant energy
    She took the medallion out of her pocket and cupped it in her hands, looking at it, but the stone was opaque and revealed nothing.
  36. inscrutable
    difficult or impossible to understand
    It was as beautiful and inscrutable, she thought, as he was.
  37. rueful
    feeling or expressing pain or sorrow
    The huntress gave her a rueful smile and asked, “Would you mind if I came inside and drank some of your water as well? I admit I did not bring any with me, and it has been a long ride already — I am not sure why I was so forgetful today.”
  38. relinquish
    release, as from one's grip
    “Be careful,” said Kaisa, and reached out to take the knife away from her. Ash relinquished it, raising her finger to her mouth, and the huntress slid the blade under the rosy skin of the apple, peeling it off in a single smooth strip.
  39. impressed
    deeply or markedly affected or influenced
    Rois was a beautiful young woman, sweet and strong, and Niamh was impressed with her abilities.
  40. condition
    a statement of what is required as part of an agreement
    The Queen, who admired Niamh’s courage in coming to seek her out, agreed to grant her wish on one condition: If Niamh remained in Taninli for ten years and acted as the Queen’s own huntress, then at the end of that time she could return to the human world, and Rois would love her as she had loved no man before.
Created on Wed Jun 22 18:25:48 EDT 2016 (updated Thu Sep 20 16:17:57 EDT 2018)

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