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"So," he continued, turning to Kurama. "I know you read the curse. If you please, write it out in your language here." Bill brushed a knuckle lightly over the bruise-mottled skin between the Jagan and Hiei's hair. Kurama took the quill, but paused, eyebrow raised. Bill explained, "I'd rather not risk my handwriting on an unfamiliar language. I've set up a translation arc in the circle."

Kurama bent and jotted out the sentence in crisp kanji. English words bled up from the floor outside the circle, curving to nestle along the runes.

Yukina is not to know that Hiei is her brother.

"Great. Perfect." Bill reached into his pocket and put a large, flattened river rock above Hiei's head. Then he stood and left the circle, crooking a finger for Kurama to follow.

Kurama found his voice again. "Is that...?"

"New curse trigger," Bill said simply, head tipping at the stone.

As long as it worked, Kurama thought, kneeling a few steps to the side and behind Bill, where he could see without being in the way.

Bill stretched his left hand out over the circle, pulling his wand with his right. "Seco." Blood splattered over the stone floor, and the circle thrummed to life, glowing white gold. A sudden breeze tugged at Kurama's hair.

Bill pinched his thumb and index finger into the wound, then, dragged his thumb over the second-to-last word in the English. It flared black and sizzled away, as did the matching word on Hiei's forehead, smoke blowing to nothing as the wind picked up.

With his index finger, Bill wrote Yukina's name in the blank space. Yukina is not to know that Hiei is Yukina's brother. Then he smeared out a word again; this time, the first one.

Everything went blindingly white. Twisting wind tore at Kurama's hair. He yanked it out of the way in time to watch Bill write a final letter in the new blank. This rock is not to know that Hiei is Yukina's brother.

A Good Offense, Chapter 20