We stopped at a beachside restaurant halfway back for dinner.

“I think she’s going to be fine,” Sarita said, finally. “They’ll help her start over somewhere else.”

I nodded. “And get her a restraining order.”

“And you scared him off?”

“I think so.” I wasn’t going to talk about magical restraining orders right now. She was already more involved than I liked, but… “Thanks. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

“I don’t like men who act like that. They make me wish I was like you.”

I shrugged. “We can’t choose that.”

“No, we can’t. I wish more people really accepted that. On all sides.”

I thought about how some gay people treated me for being bi and nodded. “Yeah. All sides. Although it is a bit unfair that I can enjoy more of the eye candy in the movie.”

“I thought you were a lesbian.” Sarita shrugged.

“Nope. Bisexual.”

“And lucky.”

I grinned. “Nah, I just have better taste than poor Eden.”

“Oh, he probably treats her like a princess when he’s not being abusive. They usually do.”

I didn’t ask if Sarita had any direct experience with that, and shifted the conversation to something safer until we drove back to the hotel.

Kanesha was curled on the bed reading. “Mission successful?”

“Yeah. I should have taken you, though. We had witch problems.”

“Evil witches. Typical.”

“But it’s dealt with. We found some nice witches in Hampton Roads and I had them put a spell on the ex so he can’t go close to her.”

Kanesha grinned. “Some witches should set up a protection agency to do that sort of thing.”

“If we existed in a world where magic could advertise, yeah.”

“What if they didn’t admit it was magic?” She sounded thoughtful.

I grinned. “In that case they probably already exist.”

I was sure they did. Now I had it firm in my mind that kind of thing was possible, I wondered if there were witches who worked at domestic violence shelters and used magic to protect the residents.

Maybe a spell to keep men out. Although that wouldn’t work for everyone – some victims were men and some perpetrators women. No, it would have to be more subtle than that.

Unless, of course, you assumed it was always the man at fault. I hadn’t, even in this case, but those witches had given me the shivers.

Even if Eden lied, the kid didn’t deserve to be in contact with them.

And I was sure she hadn’t.