Amari and the Great Game: Chapters 17–26

by B.B. Alston
In this second book of the Supernatural Investigations series, thirteen-year-old Amari Peters of Atlanta's Whitman Preparatory Academy must compete for the Crown in order to save her brother, stop a war, and prevent the future of magic from being controlled by evil forces.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–8, Chapters 9–16, Chapters 17–26, Chapters 27–36

Here is a link to our lists for Amari and The Night Brothers.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. induce
    cause to arise
    “WHY DON’T EGGS TELL JOKES?” Whispers shouts at his usual headache- inducing volume.
  2. dingy
    thickly covered with ingrained dirt or soot
    I don’t know where I thought we’d end up, but it certainly wasn’t some dingy alley.
  3. stifle
    conceal or hide
    Lara does her best to stifle a laugh, which is a lot more than she’d have done for me last summer.
  4. discreet
    not easily noticeable
    “Please be discreet. If word got out that the Millennial has a pest problem...”
  5. sliver
    a small thin sharp bit of wood, glass, or metal
    We sweat it out in this sweltering room for what feels like forever before a sliver of the wall slides away, revealing another dimly lit room.
  6. indignation
    a feeling of righteous anger
    She nearly drops the crayon in indignation.
  7. vain
    having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
    “We’re flightless fairies! Proper, working-class fairies, mind you. Not like those vain hippies in the forest with their buzzy wings and twinkly ‘Look at me’ skin.”
  8. waft
    be driven or carried along, as by the air
    Thick black smoke wafts from its body and I have to cover my face to keep from coughing.
  9. formidable
    extremely impressive in strength or excellence
    “Secondary magic,” she continues, “is never as strong as your primary magic. But when you’re as magical as you are, it can still be pretty formidable.”
  10. subtle
    difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
    And from what I know about weather magic, it’s very reactive to your mood and what you’re feeling. For that reason, it can also be very subtle—it’s possible to use the magic and not even realize it. It would seem like an ordinary change in the weather.
  11. staunch
    firm and dependable especially in loyalty
    The family has always been so staunchly antimagician, yet two Van Helsing magicians were hiding in plain sight.
  12. incredulous
    not disposed or willing to believe; unbelieving
    “I’m saying that despite whatever disgusting magiciancraft was happening in this room, I’m willing to forgive you."
    “Forgive me?" I ask, incredulous.
  13. crafty
    marked by skill in deception
    He worried that letting magicians back into the Bureau could compromise the time freeze investigation. It’s why he took over. But magicians are crafty, aren’t they? Our computer technicians discovered stolen time freeze files on Maria’s computer.
  14. understatement
    something said in a restrained way for ironic contrast
    “If you two want to take turns looking silly, go right ahead.”
    Silly might be an understatement—Elsie and I fail miserably, again and again.
  15. primal
    having existed from the beginning
    You must first understand that winds are a primal force of nature, as such they can never be controlled, only tamed, and only for a short period of time.
  16. sheer
    complete and without restriction
    This can only be accomplished through strong emotion and sheer force of will.
  17. gawk
    look with amazement
    I just stand there gawking at my best friend. We’re investigating a time freeze, and this girl never thought to mention a floor in the Bureau that manages time before now?
  18. forum
    a medium, especially a website, for discussion of ideas and issues
    “Sure, but with you teaming up with Lara now, VanQuish 2.0 is technically still in effect. Although there is some debate on the online forums as to whether VanQuish 2.5 is a better name for this new phase.”
  19. plaque
    a tablet that commemorates a person or achievement
    Arthur leads us inside, and my head whips around at all the clocks, each with a shiny gold plaque underneath.
  20. swindler
    a person who steals by means of deception or fraud
    TITANS OF TIME, VOLUME II:
 SWINDLERS & SCAMS
    Frauds & Hoaxes Ranging from Stupidly Simple 
to Extraordinarily Elaborate
  21. elaborate
    marked by complexity and richness of detail
    TITANS OF TIME, VOLUME II:
 SWINDLERS & SCAMS
    Frauds & Hoaxes Ranging from Stupidly Simple 
to Extraordinarily Elaborate
  22. delve
    consider in detail in order to discover essential features
    It’s true that foul magick is the quickest path to achieving the impossible, but take heed: To delve too deep is to lose yourself entirely.
  23. buzzard
    an unpleasant, contemptible, and often greedy person
    Her expression is sour, but she just sighs and says, “Go on, Peters—see what the buzzard wants.”
  24. saunter
    walk leisurely and with no apparent aim
    Tristan saunters over and grins.
  25. tome
    a large and scholarly book
    I only barely manage to avoid a giant tome as tall as I am. It hits the ground with a BOOM! that sounds like a bomb just went off. If that book had landed on me, I’d be done for.
  26. hail
    many objects thrown forcefully through the air
    Books on a nearby column open up to release a hail of arrows that whistle toward us, forcing both me and Dylan behind columns.
  27. dredge up
    bring to mind something unpleasant from the past
    I shove down the rush of emotions those memories dredge up.
  28. tendril
    something long, light, slender, and often curling
    Shadows rush through the swirling winds, coiling tight around my legs and arms, my neck, and even my mouth, so that I can’t move or even speak. The dark tendrils pry the ring from my grasp.
  29. pry
    move or force in an effort to get something open
    The dark tendrils pry the ring from my grasp.
  30. roiling
    (of a liquid) agitated vigorously; in a state of turbulence
    I stand there, helpless, as the roiling shadows both hold me still and carry the ring back to Dylan.
  31. bluster
    act in an arrogant, overly self-assured, or conceited manner
    “All your blustering and Peters never left the room.”
  32. compassion
    a deep awareness of and sympathy for another's suffering
    “I honestly thought you were different. That you were like me—an outsider seeking to prove herself. You could have been a shining example of the Prime Minister’s generosity and compassion, a model for others to follow—”
  33. conjure
    summon into action or bring into existence
    I still remember a boy who created rainbow forests and helped me conjure an Amari Blossom.
  34. somber
    serious and gloomy in character
    He stands next to Quinton’s bed, his expression turning somber. “Don’t seem real, seeing him like this. He always seemed invincible to me. Like nothing could ever hurt him.”
  35. undertaker
    one whose business is the management of funerals
    Julia still has on her Junior Undertaker cloak, and a pair of large silver headphones.
Created on Sun Feb 26 12:55:39 EST 2023 (updated Wed Mar 08 14:54:49 EST 2023)

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