Children of Virtue and Vengeance: Chapter 64–Epilogue

by Tomi Adeyemi
In the second book of the Legacy of Orïsha trilogy, Zélie and Amari must fight the monarchy in order to protect practitioners of magic.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–13, Chapters 14–26, Chapters 27–43, Chapters 44–63, Chapter 64–Epilogue
30 words 22 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. usurp
    seize and take control without authority
    “That referendum would have changed everything,” Mother hisses. “In no time at all, the maggots would’ve usurped the throne. This crusade began the moment I realized that I was the only person who could stop it.”
  2. referendum
    a legislative act referred for approval to a popular vote
    “You were the cause of that attack?” I whisper. “You killed all of those people just to kill the referendum?”
  3. facade
    a showy misrepresentation to conceal something unpleasant
    With Roën there are no facades. Only reality.
  4. disperse
    move away from each other
    The elders disperse in the little space we have. Only Jahi lingers behind.
  5. alleviate
    provide physical relief, as from pain
    Distance does nothing to alleviate the weight of her crimes.
  6. invoke
    summon into action or bring into existence
    The tattoos on my skin ignite with golden light as I invoke the command in my head.
  7. retribution
    the act of taking revenge
    Now we shall pay the price. I can’t even pretend he isn’t justified. He deserves retribution for all the blood on our hands.
  8. tourniquet
    a bandage that stops the flow of blood by applying pressure
    “Keep going.” I fight my tears, slipping a long stone into the knot of the tourniquet.
  9. orient
    determine one's position with reference to another point
    As I’m propelled forward, the sky becomes the ground. I don’t have much time to orient myself before my descent.
  10. pleat
    make folds in a garment or piece of fabric
    I awoke with a start, six years old and searching for the pleated lines of Binta’s bonnet.
  11. peruse
    examine or consider with attention and in detail
    I attempt to sit up, but the pain is too severe. Mother keeps me on the bed, perusing her collection of glass vials to bring a sedative to my lips.
  12. modicum
    a small or moderate or token amount
    “Do not let that traitor twist your mind! After everything we did for that boy, you’d think he could show a modicum of restraint—”
  13. purge
    make pure or free from sin or guilt
    “We are rulers, Inan. We are victors!” She speaks with such conviction. I hate how much I want to believe her words. To purge myself of this guilt. Remove this hollow pit in my chest.
  14. muster
    summon up, call forth, or bring together
    They’re the only words Tzain can muster before he sweeps her into his arms.
  15. taut
    pulled or drawn tight
    His muscles stay taut, like a puppet’s whose strings have been pulled too tight.
  16. compromise
    expose or make liable to danger, suspicion, or disrepute
    “I couldn’t run it even if I wanted to.” His eyes close when he exhales. “Compromised myself and my men the moment I fell in love with you.”
  17. appendage
    an external body part that projects from the body
    “As long as you’re taking feedback, you should know I have my limits. If it’s ever a choice between life and a certain appendage, I am requesting now that you let me die.”
  18. vanquish
    defeat in a competition, race, or conflict
    His whispers are like the bars Kâmarū crafted from stone, a prison I can’t escape. For so long he was the scar on my back. The tyrant I had to vanquish.
  19. anarchy
    a state of lawlessness and disorder
    “Anguish and anarchy are far better than the tyranny we’ve known,” Zélie says.
  20. somber
    serious and gloomy in character
    Ahead of me, Dakarai moves to bring Mama Agba in, his round face somber.
  21. disparate
    fundamentally different or distinct in quality or kind
    White light spreads from our center, cracking through the mountaintop like a spiderweb. When it hits the maji around me, ten disparate heartbeats fill my head.
  22. flute
    a tall narrow wineglass
    She reaches for the pitcher on Father’s dresser and pours red wine into the crystal flutes, before handing one to me.
  23. raucous
    unpleasantly loud and harsh
    Her fingers fly to her lips, but they do little to suppress her raucous laugh.
  24. concoction
    any foodstuff made by combining different ingredients
    Her words slur together and her muscles spasm as she fights the concoction.
  25. impenetrable
    not admitting of passage into or through
    A new magic roars through our blood, ready to tear through Lagos’s impenetrable walls.
  26. muzzle
    the open circular discharging end of a gun
    Iron groans as muzzles take aim. Cannons light like fireworks along the wall.
  27. goblet
    a drinking glass with a base and stem
    “All hail King Inan!” a lieutenant shouts from the back. People smile and lift their goblets. Pressure builds in my chest as I motion for them to lower their cups.
  28. catacomb
    an underground tunnel with recesses where bodies were buried
    “The treasuries are located in the catacombs beneath the royal gardens,” he begins.
  29. helm
    a position of leadership
    “By tonight’s end, everyone who knows those secrets will be dead. The only chance Orïsha has is with you at the helm.”
  30. gallows
    an instrument from which a person is executed by hanging
    There are no dirt roads to Lagos’s gallows.
Created on Fri Mar 06 18:22:07 EST 2020 (updated Wed Mar 11 13:29:04 EDT 2020)

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