Runaway

Runaway is the fourth book in the Winglets series. It follows Foeslayer and Arctic as they fall in love, as well as Snowflake, Arctic's betrothed. Runaway was released as an e-book on September 27th, 2016.

Summary

Thousands of years before the dragonets of destiny were hatched, another destiny began...

Foeslayer the NightWing and Prince Arctic of the IceWings are legendary. According to the myths, before they became the parents of Pyrrhia's most infamous dragon, Darkstalker, Foeslayer and the NightWings kidnapped an IceWing prince. The act set off a bitter rivalry between the tribes that lasted thousands of years.

But it all started so simply: Foeslayer and Arctic fell in love. They just wanted to be together; instead, a runaway dragon becomes a fugitive – and changed Pyrrhia forever.

Plot

Foeslayer was in the dome after she met Prince Arctic. Her mother, Prudence, came over and suspiciously asked where Foeslayer was. She noticed Foeslayer's diamond earring and asked her where she got it, accusing her of stealing it. She tried to pull it off but it stung her talon, because of the protective enchantment that Arctic had cast on it. Foeslayer told her mother that an IceWing gave it to her, and Arctic, noticing them fighting, came over and tried to keep Foeslayer from being punished and somewhat failed. When Foeslayer told Prudence that she and Arctic met outside, she was ordered to go back to her chambers as punishment. As Foeslayer headed out, she saw Snowflake and remembered that Arctic was supposed to marry her, making Foeslayer upset, since she loved Arctic.

It then went to Snowflake's point of view, who was thinking that the IceWing royal family was full of snobs and about how much she hated Queen Diamond. It was revealed that Snowflake was actually filled with seething rage and was always angry like Arctic had speculated earlier. She did not think she could stand being married to Arctic for the rest of her life because of her hate of the IceWing royal family and Arctic himself. She then met Snowfox, Queen Diamond's niece. Snowfox told Snowflake that she may call her Fox since they both had the similar names beginning with "Snow," and Snowflake said that she would as long as Fox never called her "Flake." Fox slightly sarcastically told Snowflake about how wonderful for her it would be to marry Arctic, and Snowflake equally sarcastically agreed, letting her dislike of Arctic slip. Fox saw this and talked to her about a plan to get rid of Arctic and make herself the future queen.

On the second-to-last night of the NightWing visit, Diamond found Arctic leaving his room and asked him why he was up so late. In truth, he was just about to go and have another secret meeting with Foeslayer, but he instead told his mother that he was worried about the gifting ceremony. Diamond told her son that a true IceWing would not be worried, and reminded him what she had told him he should make. Arctic then remembered that he had told Foeslayer about it two nights ago: that Diamond wanted him to make a "gift of vision," (possibly a mirror or a bowl) with the power to predict the weather at least a year in advance. Foeslayer laughed at the idea of it and suggested that a better gift of vision would be something that told you exactly what was going to happen whatever you ask. Foeslayer also told him that he should not enchant an object to do that because Diamond would use it horribly. Following this, Arctic asked for more ideas, to which Foeslayer replied that she had "only about eighty million." In the present, Queen Diamond asked Arctic if he swore to make the gift. Arctic said he had some other ideas that he would talk to her about in the morning. To make sure Arctic slept, Diamond put two guards inside his room and Arctic realized he would not be able to talk to Foeslayer that night, making him upset.

It went back to Snowflake, who was on a balcony listening to the conversation with Fox, as they had become great friends. They had been watching Arctic and Foeslayer's meetings every night. They made a plan; Snowflake would tell Arctic a rumor that Diamond was thinking of killing the NightWings, especially Foeslayer, because the negotiations did not go as planned. Meanwhile, Fox would tell the guards that something strange might be happening tomorrow night so that if Arctic tried to run away with Foeslayer he would not be able to go back.

On the last night, Foeslayer was with Prudence who was packing to leave the next morning. Foeslayer was frustrated because Arctic had not talked to her since two nights ago. Prudence was scolding Foeslayer about her pacing when she froze and stopped moving. Arctic walked through a wall, apologizing for freezing Prudence, and told Foeslayer that they should run away and live alone together and have a great life, and he enchanted the earring to keep Foeslayer safe from any of Diamond's enchantments. Foeslayer considered leaving, but she did not want to abandon her tribe and mother. Foeslayer suggested that they could go back to the Night Kingdom, and Arctic reluctantly agreed. He unfroze Prudence, and Foeslayer and Arctic persuaded her to let Arctic into the Night Kingdom.

As Arctic left to freeze any dragons in their way Prudence revealed that she had been planning for Foeslayer to fall in love with Arctic; and by any luck, have an animus dragonets with him. The plan was ruined by Foeslayer's insistence that Prince Arctic joined them in the Night Kingdom. As her mother left to get Starclaws and Discretion, the other two NightWings that had been on the diplomatic mission, Foeslayer swore to never tell Arctic what her mother had said so that he would not feel as if she had manipulated him. The five dragons left the palace, and just as Arctic and Foeslayer did so, six IceWing guards came after them. Foeslayer told Arctic that they had to leave, but he faltered because he knew one of the guards behind him, as the IceWing who taught Arctic everything she knew about weapons. Two more IceWings – Fox and Snowflake – yelled that the NightWings were stealing their prince and the guards chased them. They shot arrows at Foeslayer but the arrows swerved away due to the earring enchantment. Arctic enchanted the guards' spears to just stop them but the spears killed the guards, which was not what Arctic meant, leaving him upset and guilty.

Snowflake came forward and yelled at Arctic that he did not deserve to be happy as he killed dragons of his own tribe for a NightWing, and tried to attack him. Foeslayer shot fire at her just to drive her back but Arctic caught the fire in his talons and threw it at her, causing Snowflake's wings to be badly burnt. Snowflake fell and Fox extinguished the flames with her frostbreath, yelling at Arctic that she was going to kill every last NightWing if she got the chance. They flew to the cliff where Prudence offered her the bracelet to get across, but Foeslayer declined, saying the earring would keep her safe.

Foeslayer asked if Arctic's soul was alright, to which he replied that it was none of her concern. When she told him that it was, Arctic growled, and her mother looked at Foeslayer smugly. Foeslayer still believed that she would make Arctic happy, and she told herself that she knew she loved Arctic, and it would still be her and Arctic, together against the world, forever.

Trivia

• This is the earliest book in the chronology timeline of the Wings of Fire series.

Gallery

Click here to see the cover gallery.

International Releases

• Russian: Побег (October 2020 as a part of Мятежники)

References

de:Die Ausreißer fr:Fuyard ru:Побег