Blood at the Root: Act III: Chapters 26-34

by LaDarrion Williams
In this novel, 17-year-old Malik gets the opportunity to go to a magical university after 10 years hiding his powers, but he finds himself digging up dangerous secrets about his community and his late mother.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Act I, Act II: Chapters 7-12, Act II: Chapters 13-25, Act III: Chapters 26-34, Act III: Chapters 35-Epilogue
15 words 11 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. welt
    a raised mark on the skin
    Welts and bruises decorate their faces like war paint.
  2. tuft
    a bunch or cluster of strands, as of grass, hair, etc.
    Tufts of gray hair stick out from her head wrap.
  3. luminescent
    emitting light not caused by heat
    With a luminescent vapor, her spell makes the mark on my arm go away on its own.
  4. intoxicating
    extremely exciting
    But all I can think about is Alexis’s intoxicating smell.
  5. avert
    turn away or aside
    When he sees me, he clears his throat and averts his gaze.
  6. reiterate
    say, state, or perform again
    “Yes, you’ve reiterated that several times,” Chancellor Taron says, annoyed.
  7. twinge
    a sudden sharp feeling
    I feel a twinge of guilt and relief sloshing in my head.
  8. clique
    an exclusive circle of people with a common purpose
    “She was a good friend, your mama. A very good friend....me, her, Taron used to be friends. We were the clique.”
  9. save face
    avoid public embarrassment and maintain self-respect
    “You can’t ignore this, even if your mother wants to save face with all the tribes.”
  10. reminiscent
    serving to bring to mind
    Something else catches my attention. A piece of paper with a drawing of a tree that’s reminiscent of Mama Aya’s yard, and a long gold necklace on top of the paper.
  11. revelation
    an enlightening or astonishing disclosure
    Both of us, drowning in the moment, just sit in stillness at the revelation.
  12. disintegrate
    break into parts or components or lose cohesion or unity
    Every house I bobbed and weaved through, or had secret laughs in with the other kids in the neighborhood, starts to crumble and disintegrate.
  13. resilience
    the ability to recover readily from adversity or change
    Resilience is a form of magic…that’s in our blood, chile, and that’s somethin’ they ain’t gon’ neva take away.
  14. resigned
    accepting that something unpleasant cannot be changed
    I give a resigned nod.
  15. forge
    make something, usually for a specific function
    She uses her magic to forge a gold signet ring.
Created on Tue Sep 02 08:56:54 EDT 2025 (updated Wed Oct 22 18:19:41 EDT 2025)

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