Chapter 40
The morning passes slowly. A haze of sea and sky.
The Medusa, its engines hushed, moves between islands so vague against the sky as to be almost transparent.
On the sundeck, Oxana is lying on a recliner, her eyes half-closed.
Ahead of her lies the most dangerous mission of her life.
As far as possible, she’s made her preparations.
Beyond these, there is nothing that she can do except guard her energy and wait for the moment when Tahir leaves for the island of Skila.
‘Where’s Buse?’ she murmurs to Defne, who’s stretched out on an adjacent recliner.
‘Where do you think?’ Defne replies. ‘In my brother’s cabin.’
‘How do you feel about that?’
Defne takes a swallow from a bottle of mineral water. ‘I’m not sure. I mean, I love Buse, but she’s a terrible person. She’s been trying to get her claws into Emir for God knows how long, and he’s never been remotely interested. Now suddenly he’s all over her. Go figure.’
‘You don’t think it’s just a holiday thing?’
‘For him, probably. For her, not so sure. Has Inci got you to do her hair today?’
‘Uh-uh.’ Oxana shakes her head. ‘I haven’t seen her around. She must be sleeping late.’
‘You don’t have to, you know. You’re not her maid.’
‘I think she just likes the company.’
‘You’re very patient with us all, Oxana.’ Defne rolls over on her front and unclips her bikini top. ‘Can you put some sunscreen on my back? Actually, before you do that, can you pass me my bag?’
‘Here.’
Defne reaches into the bag and takes out something which she hands to Oxana. It’s a tiny oval of carved shell mounted on a gold ring. The head of a woman, her expression sorrowful, her hair a mass of coiling snakes.
Oxana sighs. ‘That’s beautiful.’
‘It’s Medusa. My mother gave it to me.’
‘It looks very old.’
‘It’s Roman. First century AD. Probably worn to ward off evil spirits.’
‘She wanted to protect you?’
Defne shrugs. ‘Sometimes I wish people knew just how much I don’t need protecting.’
‘Ah.’
‘Sometimes the best form of defence is attack. I like to see my ring as a weapon. Or a symbolic one, anyway.’
‘How d’you mean?’
A shadow slides across the deck as a bank of cloud moves in front of the sun.
‘Medusa started life as a beautiful human girl,’ Defne says.
‘Then she was raped by the god of the sea in the temple of the goddess Athene. Athene, being a bitch, blamed Medusa for this. Classic victim shaming. She punished Medusa by making her look so frightening that any man who saw her was turned to stone.’
‘I’ve been to hairdressers like that.’
‘Seriously. Don’t you think it’s inspiring, the idea of the lethally terrifying woman? Because that’s what this ring represents for me. Not warding off evil. Weaponising it.’
She sees me. I’ve done everything I can to hide the truth from her, but still she sees me. Are we sisters under the skin?
At 11 a.m., Inci sends Feris to summon Oxana to her cabin.
When Oxana gets there, she finds Inci doing her make-up by the light of a theatrical dressing-room mirror. She’s wearing a nightgown of pearlescent silk. As usual, the blinds are drawn, and the air is suffused with a powdery, perfumed stuffiness that Oxana can almost taste.
‘I’ll be ready for you in just a minute,’ Inci murmurs, gazing into the mirror. ‘Would you like a matcha tea?’
Oxana seats herself on the bed. ‘No thanks.’
‘Frappuccino?’
‘Honestly, I’m fine.’
‘I’m sorry about last night,’ Inci says quietly. ‘I had to go. I really had no choice.’
Oxana smiles. ‘I understand.’
‘You’re such a sweet girl, Oxana. You’re the only thing, the only thing, that’s made this trip bearable.
My husband spends more time with Atlas than he does with me; the two of them might as well be married.
Then there’s Defne sulking around the place with that awful ?etinkaya girl.
Not at all the companion I would have chosen, but of course I’m not Defne’s mother, so I’m not consulted.
And now Buse has got her claws into Emir.
’ She shrugs. ‘I could have warned them, Oxana. I saw it coming. But would anyone listen?’ She checks her face carefully from several angles, then rises and crosses the cabin, sits next to Oxana on the bed, and gently lays her head on Oxana’s shoulder.
‘I’m a bit sweaty-haired,’ Oxana says. ‘I was sunbathing, but now there’s no more sun.’
‘I like you sweaty-haired.’
‘OK.’
‘I’m doing a tour, soon. The Far East and Japan. They love me in Japan.’
‘I’m sure they do.’
‘I want you to come with me. I’ll pay you whatever you like. It’ll just be us. Just you and me. We’ll have all the time in the world.’
Oxana turns her head to look at her. ‘Why do you like me, Inci?’
‘You make me feel safe. I trust you.’ She raises her eyes anxiously to Oxana’s. ‘Please say you’ll come?’
Oxana holds her gaze for a moment, then lowers her head to kiss Inci softly on the lips. ‘I’ll come. But right now, I have to go.’
On deck, she gulps the salt air. The sky is steely now, and the Medusa rocks at anchor. Buse is standing alone at the rail, and something in her stillness encourages Oxana to approach her.
‘You’ll be happy to know he chucked me,’ Buse says, not looking at Oxana.
‘Emir?’
‘Of course Emir. It’s been fun, he told me, but now he has to – quote – move on.’
‘I’m sorry, Buse. That’s—’
‘It’s unfair,’ she says in a cold, low voice. ‘And fucking cruel. Because I love him. I always have. And it’s worse than ever now, because I know there’s no chance.’
‘Like I said, I’m sorry, Buse. Life can be really shitty.’
Buse sniffs. Her eyes shine and her mascara is smeared. ‘How do you do it?’
‘Do what?’
‘Let people push you around. Bully you. People like me.’
‘It’s just how things are.’
‘So do you hate me?’
‘No. You were playing your part, and I was playing mine.’
‘I’d be nastier if I was you. I’d want revenge.’
‘Buse, you’re seventeen.’
She nods. ‘I am, and I’ve got great tits, 27,000 followers on Instagram, and an ABB in my mock A levels. And while I might not be as rich as Defne, I am still pretty fucking rich. So…’
‘That’s the spirit.’
‘I know, right? What’s your name again?’
Oxana smiles. ‘Fuck off, Buse.’
Buse lightly punches Oxana’s bicep. ‘Fuck off yourself.’