Sheine Lende: Chapters 1–4

by Darcie Little Badger
In this prequel to Elatsoe, Shane and her mother are known for their skill in finding missing persons, but when Shane's mother goes missing, Shane must learn to use her skills alone to find her.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–4, Chapters 5–9, Chapters 10–14, Chapters 15–23, Chapters 24–33
15 words 26 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. deadpan
    without betraying any feeling
    “It’s a signal gun, like the kind they use at sea?” Shane’s mother clarified, deadpan.
  2. contention
    a dispute where there is strong disagreement
    That was a point of contention between them.
  3. exploit
    use or manipulate to one's advantage
    However, Lorenza disagreed; Shane sensed that she was afraid—deeply, adamantly afraid—to exploit families during their most desperate moments.
  4. ethereal
    characterized by unusual lightness and delicacy
    Normally, Shane occupied her free time in the outside world by doing handstands or playing with harmless little insect ghosts: monarch butterflies with stained-glass-translucent wings, ethereal lightning bugs, and swarms of bodiless gnats.
  5. haute couture
    trend-setting fashions
    That day, Amelia wore a crisp black blouse with a red skirt; all her clothes were locally-sourced haute couture.
  6. teleport
    travel by dematerializing and assembling at another point
    Fairy rings might be a good alternative to planes, trains, and cars, since they could teleport you through ineffable fae magic, but only a fraction of the human population could use the ring transport centers.
  7. ineffable
    defying expression or description
    Fairy rings might be a good alternative to planes, trains, and cars, since they could teleport you through ineffable fae magic, but only a fraction of the human population could use the ring transport centers.
  8. antsy
    nervous and unable to relax
    “I personally think the siblings wandered off the tracks and got lost. But…people in Less Crossing are antsy. Locking their doors and keeping their children close. Think you can help, ma’am?”
  9. sequester
    set apart from others
    They lived in a quiet pocket of land, their neighbors all sequestered within fences of barbed wire, chain link, and wood.
  10. proffer
    present for acceptance or rejection
    She proffered the slip of paper.
  11. morose
    showing a brooding ill humor
    Since the dreadful phone call, Marcos had teetered between disbelief and morose weeping.
  12. endemic
    native; originating where it is found
    An invasive gargoyle or endemic greatbird?
  13. cairn
    a mound of stones piled up as a memorial or to mark a boundary or path
    After noticing the signs—namely, big footprints and cairns of gray pebbles—Lorenza had retraced her steps to give the creature plenty of space.
  14. quicksilver
    a metallic element that is liquid at ordinary temperatures
    Although the wooden hilt was dull with age, its blade glinted like quicksilver.
  15. rife
    frequent, common, or widespread
    When she got back home, she’d search the library for books on paranormal, supernatural, and magical disasters, since her desired line of work was clearly rife with them.
Created on Wed Aug 26 08:39:17 EDT 2026 (updated Tue Sep 08 12:22:51 EDT 2026)

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