Gion's dormitory was in one of the quieter buildings inside the base.
She had just finished her usual meditation and taken a bath. She walked to the window and pushed it open.
A cold night breeze rushed in, catching her long, damp black hair and sending it drifting over her shoulders.
She looked up at the bright moon, her thoughts wandering.
For some reason, her mind returned to the slash she had witnessed last month. It had been cold, clean, and precise enough to make her skin prickle.
"That level of skill," she murmured. A flicker of longing and frustration passed through her eyes. "When will I ever reach that?"
The thought made her chest tighten.
Gion let out a slow breath, a little annoyed with herself, and ran her fingers through her hair.
The strands slid smoothly through her hand.
"I'm not going to be able to sleep now."
She shook her head and decided to take a walk. The night wind might help clear her mind.
She picked up her beloved sword, Konpira, from its rack. In a flash, she vanished from her room.
Gion had no destination in mind. She simply moved through the silent base under the moonlight.
When she drifted toward the path near the kitchen without thinking, she suddenly stopped.
A rich, aggressive smell that had no business being there at this hour forced its way into her nose.
The smell stirred her appetite. More importantly, it put her on alert at once.
"The kitchen?"
Gion's brows drew together.
The lights should have been out a long time ago.
Who had the guts to do something like this?
She moved like a shadow as she slipped toward the source of the smell.
"Who is there?!"
Her crisp shout cracked through the quiet like a gunshot.
Aiden's pupils shrank.
Damn it, he cursed inwardly.
The grilled meat had been too good tonight, and the sake had gone down too easily. He'd gotten careless.
That voice belonged to Commodore Gion.
What was she doing wandering around the kitchen in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?
Aiden's mind raced. Instinctively, he prepared to pin everything on Smoker. The guy had promised to cover for him if anything went wrong.
But just as Aiden was about to open his mouth, the faint hiss of moving smoke reached his ears.
Aiden whipped his head around so fast his neck nearly protested.
Smoker, who had been right beside him, showed absolutely no loyalty. The instant he heard Gion's voice, he turned into thick smoke and slipped toward the half-open window.
Even worse, while escaping, he used a strand of smoke to grab the packed food container meant for Hina.
Aiden froze.
"Bastard," he muttered, so furious he was on the verge of shouting. The second trouble shows up, you're the first one to run. Fine, you ran, but you still remembered the food for Hina. I'll settle this with you later.
In that split second, a tall, striking figure stepped out from the shadows at the kitchen entrance.
Gion was dressed in dark blue. The sash at her waist looked as though it had been tied in a hurry after her bath and now sat slightly loose.
Her long hair was no longer tied up like it had been during the day. It still hung damp over her shoulders.
A few loose strands clung to her neck.
Moonlight fell through the half-open window and onto her.
Without her uniform, Gion looked different. Less severe at first glance. But the moment her eyes focused, the tension returned.
Her gaze swept over the messy table.
She stood there with one hand resting on Konpira's hilt. The room immediately felt tense.
Aiden had lived two lives and liked to think he was not easily shaken.
But even he had to admit Gion was hard to ignore.
For a moment, Aiden lost focus.
The kitchen fell silent.
Gion's eyes moved from the food to Aiden. She spoke first.
Her voice was calm.
"Breaking into the kitchen, stealing ingredients, drinking late at night. Sergeant Aiden, any one of these is enough to land you in serious trouble. Explain yourself."
Aiden's thoughts snapped back into place.
He pushed down his anger at Smoker's betrayal and put on an innocent smile. "Commodore Gion, you've misunderstood. This was actually all Smoker's."
He was just about to start lying and dump everything on the man who had already slipped away.
"What is this?"
Gion cut him off. Her gaze settled on the food.
Aiden answered on instinct, slipping into a formal tone. "Grilled meat."
As he spoke, he was desperately trying to think of a way out.
Then Gion did something he never expected.
With a quick motion, she reached out and grabbed a piece of meat before Aiden could eat it.
Aiden stared.
Gion grabbed a piece of meat before Aiden could eat it.
Right in front of him, she put it into her mouth.
The next second, Gion's eyes widened.
The meat was hot, rich, and full of flavor.
She let out a breath.
A moment later, the spice hit. Even Gion flushed slightly from the heat.
Without thinking, she reached for Aiden's cup of sake and emptied it in one go.
She let out another breath.
The cold sake took the edge off.
Gion narrowed her eyes slightly.
For a moment, she seemed to forget why she had come.
A second later, while Aiden stood there completely stunned, Commodore Gion sat down in the seat he had been using.
She reached for another piece of meat and, without even looking at him, said in a tone that left no room for argument:
"What are you standing there for? Can't you see the meat's almost gone?"
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