Escaping Peril

Escaping Peril

Cover artist	Joy Ang
Published	December 29, 2015
Page count	336
ISBN	9780545685443 (hardcover) 9780545685450 (paperback)
Preceded by	Winter Turning
Followed by	Talons of Power
Chapter Index
Prologue • 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • Epilogue

Escaping Peril is the eighth novel in the Wings of Fire novel series and is the third book in arc two. It features Peril as the main protagonist.

Blurb

The New York Times and USA Today bestselling series soars to even greater heights with a new prophecy and five new Dragonets ready to claim their destiny! Peril has been loyal to Queen Scarlet, who used her fatal firescales to kill countless dragons in the SkyWing arena. Now, Peril is loyal to Clay, the only Dragonet who has ever been her friend. So when Scarlet threatens Jade Mountain Academy, Peril sets off to find her former queen, stop her, and save the day, no matter what it takes.There's just one problem: a strangely persistent SeaWing, Turtle, insists on coming along, too. Turtle is worried about his friends, who left to search for Scarlet and haven't returned. Peril is worried that she might accidentally burn Turtle -- or burn him on purpose, for being so annoying -- and frustrated that she keeps saying and doing the wrong things. She can't escape her firescales, and she can't escape her reputation as the deadliest dragon in Pyrrhia.So when she's offered a chance to trade everything for a new life, Peril has to decide who she's really loyal to . . . and whether her own scales might actually be worth saving.

Plot

Prologue

Just before the brightest night, Ruby reflected on her sister Tourmaline’s disappearance three days prior, after planning to challenge Queen Scarlet for the throne to end or withdraw from the war. Summoned to the throne room, Ruby joined other SkyWings, standing between her brothers, Vermilion, who scoffed, and Hawk, who smiled, possibly aware of her doomed challenge. Scarlet announced a stolen SkyWing egg meant for a prophecy, then had guards bring in seven eggs due to hatch that night. A guard dismissed the missing eighth as a “runty one.” Scarlet introduced young Peril as her future champion, demonstrating her fiery power by having her hold an egg, which burned, killing the dragonet inside. Ordered to touch the rest, Peril incinerated them, horrifying the crowd. Ruby, seeing Scarlet’s ruthlessness, doubted her own challenge and suspected Peril killed Tourmaline, silently blaming her. She concluded Peril could destroy the world.

Scales of Fire

At Jade Mountain Academy, Queen Ruby performed SkyWing death rituals for Carnelian. Clay ordered Peril to stay in her cave until Ruby left, but impatient Peril, thinking Clay approached, nearly collided with Turtle in the hallway. Turtle suggested eavesdropping on the ritual. A roar erupted, and Peril assumed Ruby learned of her presence. Ruby berated the dragonets of destiny until Scarlet arrived, holding what appeared to be Queen Glory’s head, which she threw at the crowd. Sunny screamed, collapsing, while Tsunami chased Scarlet in rage. Ruby confronted Peril, who insisted she wouldn’t be kept from her friends.

Clay, Ruby, and Peril examined the head, but Turtle identified it as an enchanted MudWing head, mimicking Glory’s. Shocked by animus magic, Ruby took it to Queen Moorhen for identification.

Alone with Clay and Turtle, Peril asked Clay’s wishes. He refused to control her like Scarlet, encouraging her autonomy. Peril realized Clay wanted the academy and his friends safe, requiring Scarlet’s death. Before pursuing Scarlet, she sought to bid Clay farewell but nearly bumped into Turtle again. He warned her to hide as Ruby, Clay, and Starflight conversed. Ruby cautioned Clay about Peril’s volatility, and Starflight revealed Peril’s love for Clay, suggesting she might harm others if unreciprocated. Peril, stung by Starflight’s distrust, resolved to kill Scarlet to earn trust.

Peril and Turtle trekked through the mountains, Turtle struggling to keep up. Five Talons of Peace members—Cirrus, a MudWing, Nautilus, a SeaWing, and Avalanche—ambushed them, unsure of their allegiance. Cirrus recognized Kestrel’s name, described as “big, red, grumpy-looking.” Confirming they shared goals, the Talons let Peril and Turtle proceed to Possibility to find Moon and Qibli.

Possibility

Over dinner, Turtle taught Peril to eat fish without burning them. Peril noticed him rolling a rock between his shoulders, assuming it was a SeaWing healing trait. En route to Possibility, they spotted a strange NightWing trailing them. In town, Turtle suggested Peril travel underwater to avoid burning others, which worked until a dragonflame cactus exploded at her feet, drawing Qibli and Moon to them.

After Turtle left to check on Kinkajou, an upset Peril flew into the desert, encountering Winter and Foeslayer. Winter, furious, accused her of aiding Scarlet. Their fight led to Peril badly burning Winter. Turtle, arriving with others, revealed his animus powers by healing Winter, surprising everyone but assuring them his soul was intact. Moon shared the prophecy with Peril.

In a rage, Peril met a jewelry-clad SkyWing claiming to be her father, Soar. He led her to Scarlet, who exposed him as Chameleon, a RainWing with unchangeable green scales, exiled from the Rainforest Kingdom. Chameleon admitted to attacking Kinkajou and revealed his animus powers, offering Peril an enchanted necklace to remove her firescales. Accepting it, Peril became loyal to Scarlet, forgetting Clay and aiding her to reclaim the SkyWing throne.

A New Peril

Scarlet, Peril, and Soar entered the Sky Kingdom, and many SkyWings they passed were still afraid of Peril because they did not know of the enchantment. They entered the wingery, where Scarlet was humiliated by some of the dragonets, but she ignored them and asked for her grandson, Cliff. They captured the prince and brought him into the throne room, planning to hold him for ransom until Ruby came and agreed to give up her kingdom in order to keep her son safe. Ruby accused Peril of killing Tourmaline and betraying her friends, which Scarlet replied to by saying that Tourmaline still alive, but hidden. Ruby was shocked, but Scarlet dismissed this quickly and forced her to give up her kingdom. An unknown MudWing, seemingly one of Ruby's soldiers, asked Peril what Clay would think. Peril is confused and asked who Clay was, making Ruby realize that there is a spell over Peril. Peril stated that she was only "following orders" from the first Queen. Ruby ordered two of her soldiers to lock her up in one of the dungeons where Kestrel was held.

Later on, Peril and Soar were in charge of guarding Cliff, but after putting him in the highest prison tower under the impression that he could not fly, they soon realized that Cliff was lying and managed to escape. Meanwhile Ruby had also escaped from the specially-designed prison cell. Scarlet found out and burst into the room. As Ruby was pinned down, Scarlet revealed her plans of making Cliff a murderer like Peril, claiming that "he'll be my adorable little weapon." Seeing that Scarlet was planning to manipulate him, Peril learned of the animus enchantment on herself and accused her father, Chameleon, of betraying her. She ripped off the necklace and remembered her loyalty to Clay, and attempted to kill Scarlet. However, Ruby stopped her, saying that it was her battle, not Peril's.

Ruby declared a battle for the throne. The SkyWings flew up to the highest spire to see them battle. Ruby was being beaten by Scarlet and losing the fight until Peril burned her earring that she claimed was given to her by her sister Tourmaline and showed everyone that Ruby was Tourmaline all along. Scarlet then admitted that she made up Ruby because Tourmaline was becoming too dangerous. Tourmaline then out of pure emotion finished the duel by shouting "For the SkyWings!" and snapping Scarlet's neck, ending her terrible reign and life. The SkyWings cheered, and Peril heard Turtle in the crowd. He explains that he came to rescue her. Cliff then started to cry after seeing that Ruby, his mother as he knew her as had been turned into Tourmaline a stranger to him. The SkyWing queen then ordered Chameleon after learning that he was the one that had first changed her to turn her back into Queen Ruby.

Then a SkyWing party was held to celebrate, and orchestras gathered around for Ruby's coronation. Chameleon was then forced to make her Ruby yet again. Peril also apologized to Ruby for the eggs on the Brightest Night. Tourmaline/Ruby forgave her, saying that she was no longer in exile. But a guard abruptly disturbed the moment crashing onto the balcony, saying that Chameleon had escaped. Turtle then decided to bring Peril and the rest of their winglet to search for him. Peril then told the story to Moon, making her desperate to get it back so that they could finally put it back into good hands.

As they searched the area, they saw a NightWing, Shapeshifter, who was Chameleon in disguise. Peril threatened to try to get him to give the scroll back, but he then said that scales as hot as Peril's could not burn him, and he was well protected, "foreseeing" death among the five. Winter wanted to get vengeance after what he did to Kinkajou, but suddenly, Turtle used his animus abilities so that Shapeshifter's armor started to shake and attacked him. The scroll was flung out of his talon, into Turtle's. Angry, Chameleon said, "I'll find you! I'll take it back! You'll be sorry! It's mine, it's mine, it's mine!"

The five huddled around a fire, discussing what to do with it. Moon mentioned that it already belongs to someone. She revealed that there was an animus dragon who was trapped. Winter immediately realized that she was talking about Darkstalker. They agreed to talk about it in the morning. As Peril woke up, they saw that Moon was gone, taking the scroll with her. Qibli told Peril to fly ahead, and that the rest of them would catch up with her. Once Peril arrived at Jade Mountain, she saw Moon, who was crying.

Moon told her about how Darkstalker had enchanted Arctic to be his slave and made him disembowel himself. The rest of the winglet arrived, and after seeing that Moon had not set him free, they started discussing what they could use it for. Qibli started talking about what he could do for Thorn, but Winter argued back. Moon tried to shut them up as well as Darkstalker, and Peril realized that good dragons could fight for power and the scroll was too dangerous. Peril burned the scroll, and suddenly, the ground started shaking and splitting apart. Turtle thought that this was the prophecy as a dragon slowly rose out of the ground. The book ended with Darkstalker thanking Peril for all of her help.

Epilogue

Late at night in the Jade Mountain Academy library, Starflight heard Anemone wandering the halls. She confided in him about a nightmare where the earth trembled beneath her. In a hushed tone, she added, “It felt like something slithering over my grave.”