Black Bird, Blue Road: Part Three

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
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. feeble
    lacking strength or vigor
    His skin was hot where Ziva touched it, and his coughs were feeble.
  2. flushed
    reddened as if with blood from emotion or exertion
    Pesah was flushed, breathing fast and shallow, skin slick with fever sweat.
  3. dwindle
    become smaller or lose substance
    The hay pile was dwindling, but there was still enough of it to be a soft place for Pesah to lie on.
  4. quirk
    twist or curve abruptly
    He quirked an eyebrow at her. "Why do you say that?"
  5. fitful
    intermittently stopping and starting
    She thought of how hot Pesah was, his burning skin and the sweat that clung to his temples. His fitful rest. His labored breathing.
  6. striking
    having a quality that thrusts itself into attention
    No clouds interrupted the striking blue of the heavens, and she asked Almas, "Is this why they call it the Blue Lands?"
  7. muse
    reflect deeply on a subject
    "Why are directions told with color?" Ziva mused.
  8. intangible
    incapable of being perceived by the senses, especially touch
    The steppe radiated an intangible magic, like steam off cobblestones after a summer rain.
  9. derisive
    expressing contempt or ridicule
    She snorted derisively and looked at Almas for reassurance that no, in fact, people could not turn into wolves.
  10. reprieve
    a relief from harm or discomfort
    Even just a small fire was a reprieve from the night, keeping the nighttime creatures at bay.
  11. skulk
    lie in wait or behave in a sneaky and secretive manner
    If
 they had no fire, what would drive away the demons that skulked in the shadows?
  12. forlorn
    marked by or showing hopelessness
    Before Ziva could tell Almas that she really wanted a fire, even just a small one, a howl broke the silence of the night. Long and lonely, forlorn, haunting.
  13. abreast
    alongside each other, facing in the same direction
    Its eyes glowed yellow in the dimness, and as she watched, a second wolf came abreast of the first one. They kept pace with one another for a moment, and then the second one put on speed and ran ahead.
  14. dredge up
    bring to mind something unpleasant from the past
    Ziva slid closer to Almas, dredging up any story she'd ever heard of the Asena, hoping there wasn't some blood feud she was unfamiliar with, hoping that they wouldn't hold her hostage.
  15. trundle
    move slowly or heavily
    She trundled over to Ziva, squatted on the other side of Pesah, and said, "Ah. Here is why Death follows."
  16. intricate
    having many complexly arranged elements; elaborate
    She wore a kaftan—like a proper Khazar—that was embroidered with intricate scenes of horses and wolves and birds.
  17. clarification
    an interpretation that removes obstacles to understanding
    Ziva didn't understand what Chichäk was saying, but she didn't have time to ask for clarification before the old woman squeezed Ziva's hands and vanished into the tent.
  18. shaman
    one acting as a medium between the visible and spirit worlds
    "Chichäk is a good shaman," the boy said. "But he's very sick."
  19. patronizing
    characteristic of those who treat others with arrogance
    "Tengri is the god of the sky."
    Ziva smiled at him, trying to keep it from looking as patronizing as it felt. "In the city, we believe in Hashem."
  20. cadence
    the rhythmic rise and fall of the voice
    The way he spoke...the cadence of his words.
  21. lilt
    articulate in a very careful and rhythmic way
    The way he spoke...the cadence of his words. Soft lilting, up and down and down.
  22. threshold
    the entrance for passing through a room or building
    Ziva dreamed about the Angel of Death, who was standing at the threshold of some room Ziva was hiding Pesah in.
  23. bearing
    (usually plural) a person's awareness of self
    She got her bearings. She was in the same spot she'd been when the little boy with the baklava had come the night before, curled up on her side in the grass and dirt.
  24. challah
    (Judaism) a braided loaf of white bread containing eggs
    They were all thoughtfully quiet, then Ziva said, "Challah." She missed the fresh loaves of challah every Erev Shabbat.
  25. pensive
    deeply or seriously thoughtful
    Almas looked pensive, forehead creased in thought.
  26. scour
    examine minutely
    The sun continued to set, and they kept on going north, and Ziva scoured the path ahead for an almond tree and a cavern.
  27. oblong
    deviating from a shape by being elongated in one direction
    It was a little oblong brown nut.
  28. sentiment
    a personal belief or judgment
    "Then we're already too late."
    He let that sentiment hang in the air between them, and Ziva glared at him until Pesah said, "I'm tired. And I think the horses should get a chance to rest and eat before we go in.”
  29. bridle
    headgear for a horse
    The horses walked up to the cavern but wouldn't go further until Almas took one horse's bridle and pulled her into the cavern.
  30. meager
    deficient in amount or quality or extent
    Once they were inside, away from the sunlight, the candle's meager flame was all they had, and as they delved deeper, Ziva heard the forlorn, farewell croak of a raven from behind them.
  31. contemplative
    deeply or seriously thoughtful
    Pesah was contemplatively quiet.
  32. variegated
    having an assortment of colors
    The land was indeed red, but it looked strange. Lumpy. Variegated. The road cut through the strange redness, going east, until it ended at a city with high, blue walls standing in the distance.
  33. casually
    in an unconcerned manner
    He stood on the stone, an enormous, frothing sword clutched casually in one hand, its tip hanging off the side of the boulder and dripping poison onto the ground.
  34. skein
    coils of worsted yarn
    Maybe dried apples in a small sack? Apple seeds in something? Apple juice hidden in one of the skeins.
  35. careen
    move at high speed and in an uncontrolled way
    Almas had found the reins and gripped them as the syrupy slowness disappeared, and the wagon careened into the city of Luz.
Created on Wed Sep 20 12:35:55 EDT 2023 (updated Tue Sep 26 13:30:12 EDT 2023)

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