Black Bird, Blue Road: Part Two

by Sofiya Pasternack
Desperate to prevent the Angel of Death from taking her twin brother, twelve-year-old Ziva bat Leah hopes that a half-demon will keep his promise to guide them to a city of eternal life.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four
40 words 16 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. balaclava
    a tight knit cap that covers the entire head and neck
    She couldn't tell much about him; he had a balaclava over his face, and all she could see were his dark eyes.
  2. haggard
    very thin, especially from disease or hunger or cold
    He was young, like her, but haggard, like he hadn't slept or eaten well for years.
  3. complement
    make perfect or supply what is wanting
    She was about to give him another scar to complement the one he had.
  4. brood
    be in a huff and display one's displeasure
    Casting furtive glances at Almas, who seemed to be too busy brooding to notice her, she grabbed the jewelry she had stashed in the bag.
  5. vulgar
    conspicuously and tastelessly indecent
    The thieves on the bench outside laughed and made vulgar jokes.
  6. cordial
    politely warm and friendly
    Ziva couldn't believe she was going to be cordial to these jerks.
  7. glower
    look angry or sullen as if to signal disapproval
    Avag cackled, and Ziva glowered at Almas.
  8. cull
    remove something that has been rejected
    "Will they pay enough to make him worth keeping around? I don't think so, Princess. They might even reward us for culling him for them."
  9. halting
    proceeding in a fragmentary, hesitant, or ineffective way
    A long time ago, Baba had told Ziva that an Important Skill judges must learn is to tell when someone was lying. He had shown her some tells: shifting eyes, crossing arms, and halting speech.
  10. rapt
    feeling great delight and interest
    Ziva dashed out of the wagon, grabbing Pesah's chair on the way, and ran to her brother, who was watching the events in the camp with rapt horror.
  11. lurch
    move abruptly
    The reins nearly fell away from her as the horses lurched forward, but she caught them in time, smacking the horses' flanks fast, maybe too hard, panicking as she drove them away from the campsite and the death that swirled within it.
  12. amble
    walk leisurely
    He ambled toward her, looking more relaxed and happy than she had yet seen him.
  13. incredulous
    not disposed or willing to believe; unbelieving
    "Assistant?" Almas said, incredulous. "I'm not...malachim don't have assistants."
  14. crestfallen
    brought low in spirit
    He looked genuinely crestfallen. "Why do you think I'll do terrible things still?"
  15. dejected
    affected or marked by low spirits
    Almas's shoulders slumped. He looked equal parts angry and dejected.
  16. lull
    make calm or still
    Sitting on the wagon with the cool morning breeze rustling her hair, feeling the rhythmic swaying of the wagon back and forth...it was lulling her to sleep.
  17. inclination
    a characteristic likelihood of or natural disposition
    "A spirit of the evil inclination."
  18. teem
    be full of or abuzz with
    The little market teemed and hummed.
  19. cursory
    hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
    After a cursory glance, she said, "Sir, I don't have any gold pieces at all. Perhaps you thought you gave me gold, but it was bronze—"
  20. smug
    marked by excessive complacency or self-satisfaction
    The man's expression was jubilant, smug.
  21. livelihood
    the financial means whereby one supports oneself
    He was trying to ruin this woman's business to benefit his own. And that was wrong. Ziva couldn't stand by while he destroyed this woman's livelihood over a blatant lie.
  22. blatant
    without any attempt at concealment; completely obvious
    Ziva couldn't stand by while he destroyed this woman's livelihood over a blatant lie.
  23. blanch
    turn pale, as if in fear
    The man blanched. "No. I was...uh, I was buying. I don't own it."
  24. discern
    recognize or perceive a difference or distinction
    Pesah squinted at Almas, like he was trying to discern any difference about him.
  25. clamor
    make loud demands
    There had to be some sort of downside to a city of eternal life, or else everyone in the whole world would be clamoring to get in.
  26. digest
    arrange and integrate in the mind
    They rode for a while in silence, each digesting their separate thoughts about the city.
  27. gouge
    an impression in a surface, as made by a blow
    Shabriri alit upon the pond's shore, the claws on her chicken feet leaving gouges in the wet dirt.
  28. ethereal
    of heaven or the spirit
    She was very tall, and shrouded in ethereal darkness that made the night deeper.
  29. idly
    in a lazy, casual, or aimless way
    Those chicken feet scratched idly at the ground, and Ziva took special notice of the spur on the back of each foot.
  30. clod
    a compact mass
    Ziva clenched her teeth and picked up a clod of dirt from the pond's edge.
  31. subside
    wear off or die down
    She patted his back until his coughing fit subsided, and then she said, "Pesah. You banished a sheyd."
  32. supersede
    take the place or move into the position of
    "I'm not a full sheyd, so I can resist the temptation to do that. Plus, our deal supersedes any of my own desires. I have to help you get to Luz."
  33. servitude
    the state of being required to labor for someone else
    She couldn't imagine losing her parents. Or being taken forcibly from them. Or being tricked into servitude.
  34. flippant
    showing an inappropriate lack of seriousness
    She's vain and flippant, and she cares more about parties than her own son!
  35. shroud
    cover as if with a burial garment
    He took a step away from the fire, shrouding himself in darkness.
  36. glean
    collect or gather bit by bit, especially information
    Almas had brought it back to her, had specifically gone after Avag to retrieve it from him, because he'd gleaned that it was important to her.
  37. contempt
    a manner that is generally disrespectful
    Then, with contempt dripping from his words, he added, "I'm not going to do anything."
  38. contentious
    showing an inclination to disagree
    They were both silent, but it wasn't contentious.
  39. penitent
    feeling or expressing remorse for misdeeds
    Ziva needed to wake Pesah so they could say their selichot, their penitent prayers that were special for Elul, and she let their laughter fade before asking, "Do you want to join Pesah and me to say prayers?"
  40. observant
    adhering strictly to laws and rules and customs
    Then the three of them prayed together, and Almas knew all the words, and when Ziva tried to apologize to him again for assuming he wasn't observant due to his sheyd-ness, he shook his head and said, "I forgive you, Ziva."
Created on Wed Sep 20 12:35:44 EDT 2023 (updated Tue Sep 26 13:30:03 EDT 2023)

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