Lords of Trillium by Hilary Wagner

Elvi, stretching, “I didn’t mean to fall asleep and startle you so. After the Council meeting, I came to see Lali. The door was unlocked, so I decided to wait inside, thinking she’d be back soon from Bostwick Hall.” She wrung her paws. “I’ve been so tired lately, I sat down on your bed and the next thing I knew your voice woke me up.”
    Duncan retrieved a mug from the cupboard, filling it with bitonberry juice from the pitcher on the table. He’d noticed Elvi had been gloomy lately. Everyone had. He felt bad for her. She had no family to call her own and sometimes seemed so out of place in Nightshade. “Here,” he said, handing her the mug. “This always wakes me up.”
    â€œSuch a good boy,” said Elvi after taking a long drink, “you and your brothers, all such gentlemen. After all you three lads have been through, you still have such generous hearts.” She sighed. “Speaking of your brothers, how is Suttor doing? He’sgot so much responsibility now—a respected Council member, a guard in the prison corridor. When does he find time to sleep?”
    â€œTrust me, he sleeps,” said Duncan, taking a seat at the table. He smiled. “He always wakes me up with his snoring.”
    â€œI would snore too,” said Elvi, “working every day in the prison corridor. It must be so tiring guarding all those prisoners day in and day out. How does he like it?”
    â€œWell, I—I haven’t really been to see him,” said Duncan hesitantly.
    â€œBut why not?” asked Elvi, surprised.
    Duncan looked down at his paws. “I don’t like it there,” he admitted. “It’s eerie . . . all the former majors from the Kill Army, not to mention High Majors Schnauss and Foiber. I don’t like how I feel when I’m there. It’s creepy.”
    â€œI understand how you feel.” Elvi got off the bed and sat next to Duncan at the table. She took down the hood of her cloak so Duncan could see her eyes. “Like I always tell Texi, we must be brave, even when we don’t think we can be. And look how far she’s come.”
    â€œBut I’m not exactly what you’d call fearless,” said Duncan.
    â€œYou don’t need to be fearless in order to be brave,” said Elvi. “Some of the bravest rats I know still get scared. It’s only natural. Even after all those years fighting off beasts in the jungle of Tosca, I can still be frightened.” She patted his shoulder. “I have an idea.”
    â€œWhat sort of idea?”
    â€œWhy don’t you take your brother a nice pot of tea someday soon while he’s working one of those tiring shifts? I’ll be glad to brew it for you.”
    Duncan cocked his head, thinking. Elvi’s tea
was
Suttor’s favorite, and he did feel guilty for never visiting him. Still, he didn’t like the idea of seeing the Kill Army majors. “Well, I—”
    â€œDidn’t you just tell the Council how you left the Catacombs all on your own?” Duncan nodded. “That you went up to Trillium and lived among the humans by yourself? Surely you can handle the majors, all locked up tight, unable to ever hurt anyone again. After all, you’re not a little boy anymore.”
    Elvi was right. The more he thought about it, the more he felt like a coward. She faced down the Toscan jungle at his age, and here he was whining over rats who’d been safely behind bars for nearly four years now. “All right,” he said decisively. “I’ll do it.”
    â€œOh, that’s wonderful to hear,” said Elvi. “Your brother will be so thankful to see your friendly face during a long, dreary day in the prison corridor. I’m sure your mother can spare a basket of her famous muffins for you, too.”
    â€œThat would be nice,” he said, genuinely excited about the idea. Though he never mentioned