Wings of Ebony: Chapters 1–5

by J. Elle
After the death of her mother, seventeen-year-old Rue is forced to leave her younger sister and go with her estranged father to Ghizon, a hidden island full of magical beings. There, Rue learns the truth of her ancestry and why she must go back to save her sister before it's too late.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–16, Chapters 17–26, Chapter 27–Afterthoughts
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. perpetrate
    perform an act, usually with a negative connotation
    The number nine dangles there like it always did, perpetrating as a six.
  2. trinket
    a small cheap ornament, knickknack, or piece of jewelry
    She rips off the last piece of paper and pulls out a golden trinket from inside the box.
  3. conjure
    summon into action or bring into existence
    With no one conscious watching, I press my palms together, conjuring a force of energy between them.
  4. relent
    give in, as to influence or pressure
    I tug and bite the belt, pulling as coppery liquid fills my mouth. It won't relent.
  5. clamor
    utter or proclaim insistently and noisily
    The crowd nearby clamors over one another for a look at the wreck, when a sweet chemical scent wafts past.
  6. periphery
    the outside boundary or surface of something
    The chemical smell grows stronger and a flicker of fire dents my periphery.
  7. muddle
    mix up or confuse
    My words are muddled, but I feel it. I feel my magic.
  8. surly
    unfriendly and inclined toward anger or irritation
    And his car. The way he angled it in the intersection and stopped, a surly grin on his face when he looked my way.
  9. pallid
    pale, as of a person's complexion
    They're all the same, with their pallid skin.
  10. snide
    expressive of contempt
    He ignores the snide remark.
  11. statute
    an act passed by a legislative body
    "When one of the Sacred Statutes is broken the first time," he says, raising his voice over the rumbling vortex in his hands, "touching humans being the most serious of them…the perp's magic backfires, almost like a poison emitted into your bloodstream."
  12. uppity
    arrogant or self-important
    It is Ghizon, home to a clan of magic-wielders. Self-proclaimed gods. Their magic gives them that stink of uppity.
  13. incremental
    increasing gradually by regular degrees or additions
    I tug my jacket tighter over me and take an incremental step forward.
  14. caste
    social status conferred by a system based on class
    The line for Sorting and Binding—finding out which caste I'm assigned to and having magic fused to my skin—isn’t super long, but waiting isn’t my idea of fun.
  15. reverent
    feeling or showing profound respect or veneration
    Patrol lines the outskirts of the audience, their fingers glued to their chests too. No idea what the gesture means, but judging by their reverent stares, it's some allegiance type...
  16. prate
    speak about unimportant matters rapidly and incessantly
    Behind me a buzzing line of sixteen-year-olds chirp like prating birds. They don't say anything to me and I say nothing to them.
  17. lilt
    a jaunty rhythm in music or speech
    The sweet lilt of his voice isn't lost on me. Tasha loves birds and his melody would put a lark to shame.
  18. burly
    muscular and heavily built
    A horn sounds and at the entrance to the Amphitheater, in the very back, a burly man appears.
  19. wispy
    thin and weak
    His head of wispy white hair folds upward like a crown, then cascades down his back in knots.
  20. exuberant
    joyously unrestrained
    The Chancellor waves to the crowd and the edges of the aisles pull to him like magnets, grasping for any piece of him within reach. An exuberant few kiss his robes.
  21. entail
    impose, involve, or imply as a necessary result
    I probably should have asked who all these people are, what being Sorted and Bound entails, something.
  22. sashay
    walk with a lofty proud gait, often to impress others
    She sashays on stage like it's a dance and the crowd ooohs and ahhhhs.
  23. gilded
    made from or covered with gold
    Gilded peacock feathers sprout from her collar like her head is set on a pedestal shrouded in gold.
  24. ornate
    marked by complexity and richness of detail
    A collage of bright blues, deep rusty oranges, and every hue in the rainbow colors the crowd's made-up faces and matching ornate hairstyles.
  25. tendril
    something long, light, slender, and often curling
    Glittered strands of hair hang in tendrils around her face, a sharp contrast to the stank eye she's giving me.
  26. wager
    stake on the outcome of an issue
    No one knows where he got it from, but rumor has it he laid with a goddess who desperately wanted a son and he wagered she'd give him magic in exchange.
  27. sterile
    free of pathological microorganisms
    The Binding building. No more crowds, no more stares. Just white walls, sterile like a hospital with a giant floor-to-ceiling picture of the Chancellor.
  28. supple
    moving and bending with ease
    He keeps his supple-bodied folks working in the mines.
  29. noncompliant
    boldly resisting authority or an opposing force
    She throws a salty look at her pocket and I know that noncompliant gadget is still under her skin. "What's wrong with your thing?"
  30. slate
    thin layers of rock used for roofing
    The earthy scent of Ghizon hits me like a slap. Slate walls surround me, and a draft creeps through my cotton hoodie, chilling my bones.
  31. lacquer
    coat with varnish
    Buildings as tall as skyscrapers loom on either side of the crowd. Their lacquered walls dotted with rows of windows stare like hundreds of peering eyes.
  32. infirm
    lacking bodily or muscular strength or vitality
    Oversized screens hang outside the residence dorms, the Infirm Ward, almost every tall building in the District, playing the usual images of the Chancellor, smiling and waving, on repeat.
  33. herald
    praise vociferously
    Of course, of all days I could be arrested, I'm snatched up just as half of Ghizon takes to the streets to herald its founder.
  34. disposal
    the power to use something or someone
    With magic at your disposal, I guess you get bored after a while and start experimenting.
  35. myriad
    a large indefinite number
    But a myriad of disinterested faces is all I see.
  36. shanty
    a small crude shelter used as a dwelling
    Wedged between the slick buildings is a crumbling stone shanty that looks older than everything around it.
  37. sanctioned
    established by authority
    They live in sanctioned housing if they’re lucky but with no magic—no way to contribute to Ghizon—they’re treated like litter society hopes will just blow away.
  38. edict
    a formal or authoritative proclamation
    And the king said no. But he ignored the king's edict and marched into the sea with only a bewitched javelin to take on the sea creature.
  39. brandish
    move or swing back and forth
    He brandishes his hands and Bri's mom looks like she's sweating bricks.
  40. submissive
    inclined or willing to give in to orders or wishes of others
    Her dad's face has changed, his features softer, more... submissive.
Created on Sun Jan 30 10:37:44 EST 2022 (updated Fri Feb 04 09:37:18 EST 2022)

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