Clarence exhaled slowly, watching as the ginger-haired girl, now fully concealed beneath a white cloak, and the maid beside her in a black cloak finally disappeared from sight. Only then did he allow himself to turn his gaze back to the state of his wooden house.
One word. Terrifying.
His house had been on the verge of collapse just moments ago. Had he not held it together with every ounce of his strength, it would have crumbled entirely.
Taking a deep breath-whether from exhaustion or relief, he wasn't sure-Clarence slowly raised both hands toward the sky. Magic flickered at his fingertips, gathering in controlled streams as he directed it toward his almost battered home.
Control had returned to his hands, at last.
