Despite Iris’s cool demeanour, Greta felt an overwhelming urge to give her a hug.
Iris hadn’t witnessed Greta’s sneaky sip of the coffee dregs, but Greta suspected the old woman somehow kneweverything.
She slunk back into her seat in the booth and drank the glass of water that had appeared beside her empty coffee cup. Greta knew she owed Iris an explanation, but not one that revealed she’d secretly added Starbright to her brew.
‘I . . . I found myself at an award ceremony,’ Greta began, her voice hoarse. ‘Everyone knew my name and wanted a piece of me. Movie star Tobias Blake was there, too. He presented me with an award for a film we’d starred in together.’
Iris carried on grinding, her eyes fixed on the bowl.
‘I played mini-golf, then had a picnic with my family and my friend Millie,’ Greta continued. ‘I went for a walk in the park and discovered a waterfall. I went swimming, but then . . .’ Her words faltered, and she took a few deep gulps of air.
‘There was a shark. It was coming right at me, its jaws wide open. Ready to—’ Greta shuddered and bowed her head.
‘You drank the rest of your coffee,’ Iris said in a clipped tone.
Greta swallowed, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end with guilt. ‘Yes,’ she admitted, avoiding looking at her empty cup. ‘I didn’t think it would matter. There wasn’t much left . . .’
‘So, you decided to add something . . . extra?’ Iris jabbed her pestle with a crunch. ‘I told you the rules. One cup of coffee at a time. Once a week. No exceptions. The threads of fate are delicate, Greta. Pull too hard and the tapestry could unravel. Parts of life can crash into each other.’
Greta clasped her hands together, holding them tight. ‘What does that even mean? It was just a few sips of the coffee I’d already drunk. What could possibly go wrong?’
Iris raised an eyebrow, her gaze sharp and piercing. ‘Well, now you know. From the look of you, you’ve experienced some of the consequences of meddling first hand.’
Greta lowered her eyes. ‘I thought it wouldn’t hurt.’
‘You added Starbright to your coffee, didn’t you? Do you know what it actually does? Did you know the right amount to use? It’s potent stuff. Especially in the hands of novices. I’m guessing your time in Mapleville wasn’t as smooth, and your return here not exactly easy?’
‘That’s one way to describe it,’ Greta muttered. When she closed her eyes, the shark fin flashed in her mind and a fresh wave of panic rushed over her. She glanced at the Starbright jar, her stomach churning when she noticed she hadn’t replaced the stopper properly. ‘There seemed to be a few . . . glitches.’ Iris let out a weary sigh. ‘Well, it’s too late now,’ she said. ‘The consequences will already be in motion.’
Goose bumps rose along Greta’s forearms. ‘Consequences? I didn’t break the rules. I just bent them a bit.’
Iris nodded. ‘They’ll unfold in their own time, taking their own path. You’ll have to face them whether you’re ready or not. Some will be within my reach, but others won’t. There needs to be some kind of penance for breaking my rules, don’t you think?’
Greta nodded reluctantly.
The only sound for the next couple of minutes was the steady grinding of the jade pestle. Finally, Iris lifted her head. ‘I’ve decided you’ll have to wait until next year for your next cup of coffee. That is, if you want to drink another one . . .’
‘Next year?’ Greta’s voice broke. ‘That’s three weeks way . . .’ The same deadline as her and Jim’s huge decision, on whether to end their marriage or not. Her body wilted.
She didn’t want to encounter the shark again, but almost kissing Jim had been wonderful. Seeing Lottie so carefree and happy had been priceless, too. Greta’s Mapleville house was beautiful, and the weather was balmy. Waiting until the New Year to go there again felt like forever. ‘That’s too long away. How can I fix things, so I can make it happen?’
Iris moved toward her jars, picking out a few ingredients and dropping them into her bowl. ‘You can’t.’
Greta opened and shut her mouth like a fish out of water. ‘But, what am I supposed to do in the meantime?’
A small, wry smile formed on Iris’s lips. ‘You drink normal coffee,’ she said. ‘I believe the taste of Maple Gold is passable.’
Greta grimaced, her jaw clenching until it hurt. She pulled her phone from her pocket, only to see a long list of missed calls. Damn, she only had one percent of battery life left.
When she tapped on a message from Lottie, the screen went blank. ‘Great,’ she muttered, sucking in through her teeth. ‘Do you have a charger?’ she asked Iris.
‘Sorry, no.’
‘A phone I can use?’
Iris shook her head.
Greta cursed herself for letting her battery run out. ‘What time is it?’ she asked.
