Serafina and the Seven Stars: Chapters 14–30

by Robert Beatty
In this finale to the series, Serafina, now the thirteen-year-old appointed Guardian of Biltmore with her own beautiful bedroom, has difficulty enjoying the peace that she has brought about.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–7, Chapters 8–13, Chapters 14–30, Chapters 31–45, Chapters 46–64
40 words 6 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. fervor
    the state of being emotionally aroused and worked up
    The pack of dogs came out of the forest close behind them, loud now, howling with new fervor.
  2. frenzied
    affected with or marked by mania uncontrolled by reason
    Once more, the lion leaped away just in time, slinking from branch to branch as her brother hissed and snarled to keep the frenzied, stupid tree-climbing dogs at bay.
  3. valiantly
    with heroic courage or bravery
    Jess fought valiantly to stay in the saddle, but the horse was out of its mind with panic.
  4. remorse
    a feeling of deep regret, usually for some misdeed
    She had hated him with all her heart. But she still couldn’t help but feel a pang of remorse to see him die like this.
  5. euphoria
    a feeling of great elation
    An immense sense of relief, almost euphoria, poured through her body.
  6. bout
    a period of indeterminate length marked by some condition
    A bout of panic and irritation rippled through her.
  7. gnarled
    old and twisted and covered in lines
    Black strands of vines strangled the crooked trunks of the gnarled trees.
  8. persistent
    never-ceasing
    But as she kept looking, she saw a single persistent dot of light directly above her. Not a star, but a planet—the small, glowing orb of Jupiter, shining through the thin layer of clouds, like a valiant friend.
  9. vestibule
    a large entrance or reception room or area
    But as she went inside and crossed through the Vestibule, she looked over and noticed scratches on the wall.
  10. striation
    a groove or ridge
    The striations almost looked like something Smoke and Ember would do, but they were far too thick, and the limestone walls of the Vestibule were far too hard for their little claws.
  11. turmoil
    violent agitation
    As she opened the doors and entered the Main Hall, the house was in turmoil, servants running, guests crying, dozens of men on the move, many with knives at their sides and hunting rifles in their hands.
  12. grim
    filled with melancholy and despondency
    She hated the grim tone of his voice, and the desperate look in his eyes, like the world was coming apart at the seams and he had no idea how to stop it.
  13. emphatically
    without question and beyond doubt
    “No, sir, that’s not what happened,” she said emphatically. “The mountain lions did not come back. I know that much for certain.”
  14. brusque
    rudely abrupt or blunt in speech or manner
    “I can’t rest,” she was about to say to Mr. Vanderbilt, but at that moment, Lieutenant Kinsley strode abruptly into the house and walked up to them, his manner brusque and filled with purpose.
  15. curtly
    in an abrupt and discourteous manner
    Lieutenant Kinsley nodded curtly, glanced at Serafina, and then exited as if he had just been given orders by his commanding officer.
  16. dappled
    having spots or patches of color
    Lieutenant Kinsley stood nearby, loading the leather saddlebag on the side of his horse, a beautiful dappled gray mare.
  17. venture
    proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers
    She knew it must confuse him why a lone thirteen-year-old, seemingly with no weapon or steed, would venture out when a vicious animal was stalking the forest.
  18. deftly
    in an agile manner
    In the single, smooth motion of a well-trained young cavalry officer, the lieutenant vaulted deftly into his saddle.
  19. spur
    goad with sharp prods fixed to a rider's heel
    And then he tipped his hat, turned forward, and spurred his horse away.
  20. canter
    ride at a smooth three-beat gait
    As the hunting party rode out, she watched him canter toward the front of the group.
  21. cranny
    a small opening or crevice
    Standing very still, she moved her gaze from one empty chair to the next, into one dark corner and then the other, to the small black cave of the dead fireplace, to the murky voids beneath the tables, scanning every nook and cranny for any sort of danger lurking in the shadows.
  22. flush
    force to come into the open, as from a place of concealment
    “Go flush it out,” she whispered as she searched the shadows.
  23. benevolent
    generous in providing aid to others
    It had always disturbed her how on some nights the Grand Staircase looked so lovely and benevolent in spirit, but other nights, when the moonlight poured in, it seemed haunted with a pale, cold menace.
  24. cloven
    (used of hooves) split, divided
    Tiny cloven hooves on the stone floor.
  25. caterwaul
    a loud and unpleasant yowling sound
    A loud crashing noise exploded on the second floor above her, then the wailing caterwaul of a terrified cat.
  26. scuttle
    move about or proceed hurriedly
    The bizarre beast scurried away from her, running beneath a chair and then a sofa. Then it scuttled down into a ventilation shaft and disappeared, leaving her with nothing but a shudder down her spine.
  27. fresco
    a mural done with watercolors on wet plaster
    With all the ancient Greek frescoes, oil paintings, and bronze sculptures in his room, it was like an art museum all in itself, so different from the sunlit velvet airiness of Mrs. Vanderbilt’s suite, which was connected to his by the formal Oak Sitting Room where they shared their breakfast each morning.
  28. sanity
    normal or sound powers of mind
    “I think that’s what I saw the other night. It frightened me so badly that I couldn’t even utter words to describe it. I didn’t think it could be real. I prayed I had imagined it. For days now, I have been doubting my own sanity.”
  29. outlandish
    noticeably or extremely unconventional or unusual
    She’d gotten him up in the middle of the night with outlandish stories of dead bodies lying in the Main Hall.
  30. inexplicable
    incapable of being explained or accounted for
    “This is indeed inexplicable,” Mr. Vanderbilt said in confusion, his eyes still staring at the empty spot on the floor. “But I know you wouldn’t make something like this up.”
  31. amiss
    in an improper or mistaken manner
    It was as if her mother’s instinct had told her that something in the house was amiss.
  32. racket
    a loud and disturbing noise
    That thing’s wicked fast, she thought, but before she could even turn to see it, a clattering racket rose up from the kitchens, glass breaking, pots and pans crashing to the floor.
  33. venison
    meat from a deer used as food
    He lost his balance and fell against the large black iron rotisserie spit where he had been roasting a haunch of venison on the cook fire.
  34. grapple
    grip or seize, as in a wrestling match
    As the two men grappled, Serafina froze in shock. Who was she supposed to fight, the attacker or the attacked?
  35. stanch
    stop the flow of a liquid
    She grabbed a rag from the counter, fell to her knees, and tried to stanch the blood oozing from Mr. Cobere’s head.
  36. undulate
    move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion
    She stumbled down the corridor away from the scene of the crime, every step she took pounding in her head, the walls of the passageway undulating with darkened colors.
  37. heinous
    extremely wicked or deeply criminal
    How could she tell him that heinous, winged beasts were slithering into Biltmore?
  38. bluster
    be gusty, as of wind
    Her running legs took her across the courtyard through the storm, the blustering wind buffeting her body as thunder and lightning crashed overhead.
  39. buffet
    strike against forcefully
    Her running legs took her across the courtyard through the storm, the blustering wind buffeting her body as thunder and lightning crashed overhead.
  40. stoic
    seeming unaffected by pleasure or pain; impassive
    But no matter how loud she screamed, the angel did not reply. Her face remained as stone and stoic as it always did.
Created on Wed Apr 10 16:42:08 EDT 2024 (updated Sun Apr 14 15:17:26 EDT 2024)

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