[...What? Harlan stares for a minute, waffling between puzzled and impressed.

But if he's impressed, he's not going to admit it after that comment.]

It wasn't a defensive move. My magic packs a punch so sometimes it gets out from under me. Shit goes haywire sometimes.

[Which is embarrassing, but he also considers it a mark of his talent. If his magic wasn't a force to be reckoned with, it would be a hell of a lot easier to control.]