The Candle and the Flame: Chapters 4–8

by Nafiza Azad
Saved by a djinni as a child, eighteen-year old Fatima Ghazala has a magical fire within her that vexes a commander named Zulfikar and draws her into royal conflicts in the city of Noor.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Prologue–Chapter 3, Chapters 4–8, "A State of Becoming"–Chapter 16, Chapters 17–27, Chapters 28–40
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. astute
    marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
    "Astute of you to realize that."
  2. terse
    brief and to the point
    "We do not know yet," Zulfikar says tersely.
  3. garrulous
    full of trivial conversation
    His predecessor, a garrulous Ifrit named Nabil, had been the Emir of Noor City since the Raees signed a treaty with Maharajah Arjun of Qirat.
  4. fallow
    undeveloped but potentially useful
    Nabil and his army of Ifrit and Amir soldiers were able to wrest the city of Noor back from the Shayateen, but without humans to live in it, the city lay fallow, lacking songs, color, and laughter to give it life.
  5. reverie
    an abstracted state of absorption
    Zulfikar's reverie is interrupted by one of his soldiers.
  6. divan
    a long backless sofa, usually with pillows
    Anwar is currently lounging on a divan strategically placed near a partially opened window.
  7. brocade
    thick expensive material with a raised pattern
    A breeze plays with the edges of the brocade curtains, causing them to part so fingers of sunlight can reach in and bathe Anwar's face in soft light.
  8. foment
    try to stir up
    As if that weren't enough, his advisors waylaid him right after he completed breakfast and for dessert, he heard, once again, about the rebellion fomenting in Eastern Qirat.
  9. churlish
    rude and boorish
    "What is so important that it could not wait five minutes, Jamshid Chacha?" Aarush asks, knowing he is being churlish but unable to help himself.
  10. obeisance
    bending the head or body in reverence or submission
    His father wrote of the old man's disdain for his expectations of obeisance. The old man stood in front of him without bowing or showing any sign of the respect Maharajah Arjun expected from his subjects.
  11. revelry
    unrestrained merrymaking
    "Tonight's revelry may tempt them out from their usual haunts."
  12. inflection
    the modification of pitch, tone, or volume when speaking
    The Emir's inflection is vaguely mocking, and Aarush flushes.
  13. succor
    assistance in time of difficulty
    "Increase your patrols, particularly in areas where a lot of people will gather to celebrate. I will send you a number of my Ifrit soldiers. Their presence on the streets may act as a deterrent to any Ghul searching for succor among your people."
  14. disconcert
    cause to lose one's composure
    Aarush has successfully disconcerted the Emir with his abrupt question.
  15. versed
    thoroughly acquainted through study or experience
    Achal Kaur requires her messengers to be versed in one or more martial arts so they can protect or defend themselves should the need to do so arise.
  16. conciliatory
    intended to placate
    "Now, now," Adila says in a conciliatory tone. She is used to keeping peace.
  17. bemused
    perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements
    Fatima resurfaces a few minutes later, bemused, and asks no one in particular, "One hour to do what?"
  18. coiffure
    the arrangement of the hair
    “I'm pretty certain I could seduce a tree," Azizah says, giving Fatima's coiffure one last pat.
  19. undulate
    move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion
    The flames of tiny clay diya undulate on windowsills, doorsteps, footpaths, and storefronts.
  20. prostrate
    lie face downward, as in submission
    "Do I tell you that you look beautiful, or will prostrating myself in your shadow suffice?"
  21. foist
    force onto another
    She is the daughter of Sanchit Goundar, one of the leaders in the maharajah's government, and has been foisted on Bhavya for as long as she can remember. Bhavya doesn't even have the freedom to choose her friends.
  22. inconsequential
    lacking worth or importance
    If it leads you to a meeting with the Emir, surely the embarrassment of the morning will be inconsequential.
  23. flippant
    showing an inappropriate lack of seriousness
    "It is easy for you to be flippant. You weren't the recipient of the scolding my mother and aunt gave me," Bhavya replies, her lips thinning at the memory.
  24. demure
    suggestive of modesty or reserve
    She is conscious of being consumed visually and fights, as usual, to keep her lips smiling, her eyes cast demurely down, and her pace sedate.
  25. sequester
    set apart from others
    Bhavya spends her life sequestered in the mahal, and on the rare occasion she is allowed out, she is accompanied by guards who are supposed to protect her life, but who, Bhavya thinks, are more concerned with keeping her chaste.
  26. censure
    harsh criticism or disapproval
    Azizah finds herself under the censure of three pairs of eyes and amends her statement.
  27. detritus
    the remains of something that has been destroyed or finished
    A half hour later, they are done eating and have thrown away the detritus of their meal.
  28. verve
    an energetic style
    "We were on our way to the eastern gate to get you and Sunaina Baji because we wanted to buy paper lamps from the stalls there," Amirah says suddenly, her voice lacking its usual verve.
  29. thrall
    the state of being under the control of another person
    An uncertain silence holds them in its thrall before Adila says briskly, “Let's get your arm bandaged."
  30. relegate
    assign to a lower position
    The sounds of revelry drift up to them; the people of Noor will wring all the celebration out of the night before they relegate it to the past.
  31. pensive
    deeply or seriously thoughtful
    "Ah." Adila looks pensive. "But why bring up Fazilat all of a sudden?"
  32. regale
    occupy in an agreeable, entertaining or pleasant fashion
    There she finds all the house servants gathered around Anjum, who is regaling them with the tale of the Ghul from the night before.
  33. bevy
    a large gathering of people of a particular type
    She takes Fatima to the second floor, where a bevy of matrons fuss over her, plying her with food and redressing her cut.
  34. abate
    become less in amount or intensity
    When the torrent of tears finally abates, Fatima takes a shuddering breath and looks up to see Firdaus's bemused expression.
  35. viscous
    having a relatively high resistance to flow
    She watches that viscous blackness slither from the paper onto Firdaus's hand before being absorbed through his skin.
  36. sallow
    unhealthy looking
    Firdaus's skin is sallow, and he is sweating profusely.
  37. oblique
    not direct, explicit, or straightforward
    Zulfikar is sitting in the library with Anwar conferring on some oblique details forwarded by the Emir of Rahm.
  38. cajole
    influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
    A curious reluctance to go on presses against him, cajoling him to turn and leave.
  39. astringent
    harsh or corrosive in tone
    Time gains an astringent quality; each passing second seems like an insult to all that is sacred.
  40. patronage
    the act of providing approval and support
    Sunaina resumes her walk home, contemplating the future if she manages to win Rajkumari Bhavya's favor. With the princess's patronage, Sunaina will be able to stop working as a housemaid and focus on making cosmetics.
Created on Thu Oct 20 09:58:09 EDT 2022 (updated Thu Aug 17 14:40:54 EDT 2023)

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