He let out an impatient sigh. “The city council election. I just told you that I’m running, and I’m wondering if you’ll help with the campaign.”

I let out a sigh of relief. He’d made it sound like he wanted me to run. Then the full import of his words hit me, and I gave a silent groan.

“Um…help with what, exactly?”

“Oh, you know, passing out lawn signs, being at the debate, that sort of thing.”

Pressing a hand to my forehead, I shook my head. Campaigning around town was the last thing I wanted to do when I was still suspected of kidnapping.

“The store keeps me really busy…”

“Oh, I know. It wouldn’t be anything full time, just a few hours a week in the evening or something. I could really use your support, cuz.”

I gritted my teeth. He just had to pull the family card. I couldn’t help wondering why Maria wasn’t helping. Or maybe she was, but Tim wanted more help. Either way, the thought of knocking on doors and handing out signs made me want to tear my hair out.

“I’m sorry to ask at short notice, Sage. I just thought it would be neat to present a united front, show all of Woods Crossing that the Blacks are back and better than ever.”

His pathetic rally roused a twinge of sympathy in me. This was important to him, and he had welcomed me warmly when I first moved here.

“Um…sure. I can probably only do a couple evenings a week.”

“That’s just fine! Why don’t we meet tomorrow evening and plan on Tuesdays and Thursdays until the election?”

“Okay. Are we meeting at your house?”

“Yep. The whole campaign team will be there, six-thirty sharp.”

I dragged my hand down my face as I hung up the phone. What had I gotten myself into? I heard a soft laugh and looked down to see Jade trotting to the front room from the employee area.

What has he roped you into now?

I sighed. “Helping with his city council election.”

She laughed hard, rolling around on the floor in her mirth. I glared at her while I arranged lavender sachets into a basket.

Why on earth did you say yes?

“I don’t know! I feel kind of bad for him.”

Jade jumped up onto the counter, her eyes still sparkling with laughter.

Don’t you have other important things to worry about? Like protecting the house and finding Theresa? Oh, and learning magic?

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, mom. I’ll make sure to do my homework and wash my face, too.”

She gave a disgruntled meow and leapt down to the floor. I didn’t want to admit that she was right, but she was. I really wasn’t looking forward to helping Tim.

As it turned out, helping Tim wasn’t as involved as I thought. At the first meeting, we made buttons, hats, and promotional pins with his name on them. He asked me to put a sign in front of the shop and leave a basket of the freebies we’d made on the counter for customers.

After the first week, though, he told me that he had a large list of public appearances, including the town debate with his rivals. I had to put my foot down to attending all of them, but I went to a meet and greet dinner at the town hall. Maria and I found time to catch up whenever I came to help, but she seemed a little distant. Tim probably kept her very busy with all of this campaign stuff, but the absence of her previous warmth hurt.

I got home late one night from the debate, ready to drop, only to find Jade waiting for me on the front porch.

“Jade! It’s freezing out here! What are you doing?”

Anytime I came home, Jade was usually lying on one of the couches or on the floor next to a heater vent. She sat stock still on her haunches, her eyes narrowed.

I’m worried about you. You’ve let Tim wrap you up completely in this election.

With an irritated sigh, I unlocked the door.

“Come on, let’s talk inside. It’s really cold.”

As soon as we got in, I realized that Jade hadn’t eaten yet. A stab of guilt shot through me. No wonder she was cranky.

Rummaging through the fridge, I found some leftover chicken alfredo and heated it up for her. I blew the steam away from it before I set it on the floor. To my surprise, she didn’t even go near it.

With a long-suffering look, I crouched down so I was eye level with her.

“What’s going on?”

You’re neglecting your magic. You haven’t gone to see Faith in ages. This election is taking up all your time.

“It’s not taking up all my time. You know I hate all this stuff.”

Then why do you keep giving in? Any time Tim asks you to jump, you say how high. You’ve become his little puppet.

“I think that’s exaggerating a bit, Jade. I help with the campaign on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.”

She hissed. But he called you Monday, desperate for you to take some signs around your neighborhood. And tonight, even though you told him no before, you went to the debate.

“He said it was the most important night of the campaign.”

He says that about every campaign stop.

I frowned and pursed my lips. That wasn’t true, but she did have a point. Tim had been calling me more and more for meetups and outings. Some people in town were thrilled that two of Celeste’s grandchildren had come back to Woods Crossing and wanted to talk about her. He knew that people wanted to talk to me about living in her house and running the shop.

“You’re exaggerating,” I pointed out. “But…maybe I have let the campaign take up too much time. I’ll tell him I need to stick to Tuesdays and Thursdays only.”

As if she’d been waiting for me to admit that, Jade dove into the food and began devouring it. I gave her a tiny pat on her head and stood up. The city offices provided a meal at the debate, so I wasn’t hungry, but I wasn’t sure I could sleep either. My eyes strayed to the neglected spell books on my coffee table. Even just the thought of practicing spells made me tired, though, so I went to bed.

The next morning as I walked to the shop, I heard footsteps behind me. There were always pedestrians on Main Street, but not usually until later in the morning. I turned, but didn’t see anyone.

I looked down at Jade, who had decided to accompany me to work that day. She gave me a meaningful look, then shook her head just the smallest amount. It was a signal, telling me not to say anything.

“I think I’ve got a rock in my shoe,” I said, inventing a reason for stopping and turning. I knelt and dug around in my shoe for a few seconds, then pretended to flick a pebble away. Keeping my head down, I moved my eyes up just enough to see the pavement in front of me. A flicker of color appeared in the air, a sort of brownish, leathery color.

It was a pair of shoes.