Chapter 50

XAVIER Axl’s dark laughter fades into the distance as he takes off in the opposite direction. I stretch my neck, enjoying each satisfying crack. The Hunt is my favorite night of the year. All that adrenaline and fear. The thrill of tracking prey before we devour it is a rush all its own. I’ve already earmarked three Onyx pledges who look particularly tasty, and I’d be more than happy to prevent them from becoming immortal members of House Chó̱ma. The pledges have a two-hour head start, and they’re allowed to bring weapons, maps, or anything they think might assist them in making it to the final checkpoint. The smartest ones know that the key is to mask their scent, and to do that most effectively they need to get creative. Skunk spray is particularly effective, as is anything with sulfur. Surprisingly, ash, particularly from pine trees, is one of the stronger substances for masking scent. A few years ago, the Ruby Dragon pledges set fire to half a dozen trees in their attempt to cover