Page 17 of Darling Beasts

“I never said I was too busy. Also, the plane isn’t for me.” I rotated away from the pond and walked toward the house. “It’s a long story, but rest assured I’ll pay you back.” Naturally, I wouldn’t mention the flare, lest I be treated to a lecture about migration patterns again. Plus, the look on Talia’s face when she encountered a single flamingo on my front walk told me everything I needed to know. My condition was some freaky shit, and it was best to keep normal people out of it.

“Cancel the flight,” Ustenya said.

“I can’t really undo it at this point?” I probably could have, but wasn’t going to, because we had no plan B. “I said I’d pay you back.”

“How would you even do that? By moving funds from one of our accounts to another of our accounts?”

“I do have my own bank account.” I sniffed. “And I run a whole business.”

Granted, the theater didn’t exactly throw off a ton of cash. Sydney always said the Collective could generate a profit if we tried, but I wasn’t going to jack up my prices. There weren’t many places for theater troupes to put on plays about reproductive cycles or showcase the brilliance of Team Peppa, in which characters from thePeppa Pigcartoon worked together to accomplish something, like navigate a muddy puddle or cover up a homicide. Fans loved it, and I refused to price anyone out, and we covered any shortfall with a monthly $50K disbursementcourtesy of my dead grandfather. Granted, I never had much left at the end of the month, especially when you factored in property taxes and flamingo sanctuary donations and roof repairs, and damn, I’d really wedged myself into a tricky spot.

“I’ll pay you back,” I repeated, beginning to sweat. It was crazy how a person could feel fine, financially speaking, one minute, and then a bunch of small and medium things snowballed into an avalanche. “But it might take a while.”

I stopped. A realization washed over me, followed by a warm rush of relief. The twenty-five-year gift. My birthday was soon, and although I didn’t know the amount, it had to be enough to charter a cargo plane.Phew. Really dodged a bullet there.

“It is astounding,” Ustenya said, “how you and Oscar take, take, take. Eating like bears, working like bugs. Then your father asks one little thing—and you refuse! Talia is the only one who gives a damn.”

She is the favorite child, I thought as I resumed my trudge up to the house.

“This ends now. You and Ozzie. You will be chopped.”

“Chopped?” One of my Birks caught on a stone step. I stumbled, regaining my balance seconds before I face-planted on the slate. “What do you meanchopped?” For all our jokes about Ustenya being a former assassin, I didn’t think she’dactuallymurder us. Not with Dad running for office, at least.

“What is it they say in America?We’re cutting off your monthly disbursement.”

I took a beat to process the information. “Forgive me for sounding crass,” I said, feeling my cheeks flame. “But are you allowed to cut us off? That money is from our grandfather.”

“There’s a very flexible carve-out for any descendant the trustee determines is not living up to family expectations. Your father is the trustee.”

“Oh. Great...”

“He can slice and dice at his discretion. This applies to both your monthly distribution and whatever you expect to receive in...” She paused to check a calendar or something. “In December?”

My mouth opened, but no words came out. I might’ve lost consciousness for a second. Was I being... blackmailed? I’d never known Ustenya to bluff, which meant I was screwed. Last month’s production had it right.Capitalism Prison, for real.

“I’ll figure something out, but you can’t punish Ozzie, too.”

“It isn’t punitive,” Ustenya said, and I didn’t see how this could be true. “We simply cannot afford to keep you children on the payroll if you’re not contributing to the campaign. We need to free up the cash and make room for bodies. You and Ozzie are replaceable.”

“Ouch...”

“But it is not too late,” Ustenya said, and I could hear her smiling the smug smile of a person who held all the cards. “Everything stays intact if you agree to your father’s request.”

Maybe you should go, a dark, sick part of my brain whispered.Sydney has the Collective under control. But no. Absolutely not. I’d finally put some distance between me and my family and refused to reverse course. My PBS was back, and I was hardly going to flamingo at the Ranch, in full view of Dad and Talia and everyone else.

“Let me think on it,” I said, feeling myself waver. I’d always considered myself different, better than other trust fund babies, even the ones in my own family. I wasn’t flashy and never bought top-of-the-line. I lived on a farm and thrifted my clothes. People called me “unassuming” and “down-to-earth,” but that was all surface stuff. It was easy to play the artsy girl in the country who didn’t care about money when you had enough to go around two or three times.

“The offer expires tomorrow,” Ustenya said.

“I need to crunch some numbers, talk to Diane.” My stomachturned over. Diane had already told me to go, and she’d do it again, probably because it was the right call.

Ustenya cackled, chilling me to the core. “Sure. Yes. Fine. Call Diane. But she might not pick up. I cannot believe you roped her into the plane gambit.”

“Don’t be mad at Diane! She thought it was a horrible idea, but I made her.”

“That’s the problem. You’re twenty-four years old and still have a nanny to boss around. I’ve let this linger too long. Diane has been fired.”

“What?”

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