Cassandra took in a deep breath as she knocked on Cullen's door and then stepped in. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, a fresh pair of trousers and undershirt on, staring down at his right palm.

"It is good to see you up. Leliana worried she hit your pressure point too hard."

He snapped his head up, eyes wide, wild. He took in a few deep breaths, steadying himself, before he seemed to realize that she'd even spoken. He pressed his palms over his eyelids. "I don't know if I can do this."

Straightening up, Cassandra pressed a hand against the hilt of her sword, where it hung on her hip, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Your withdrawal is bound to put you through some rough days—"

"It's the red lyrium. I can't…" He took in another breath, holding it, and then exhaling shakily. "I've never heard the song so loud. I wasn't even taking it. I never…even actually touched it." He pulled his right hand away, staring at it with a mixture of awe and horror. "I could feel it through my glove."

Cassandra frowned. She had already been filled in on what had happened. Their prisoner had been infected with red lyrium, like the other templar they'd fought. The lyrium had just begun to crystalize inside of him, and he'd taken advantage of the numbing herbs Finley had been foolish enough to give him to dig it out of his own body to use as a weapon.

"Leliana's people are cleaning up the mess. We will keep all templars out of the chantry until the red lyrium can be removed."

"But there's more," Cullen gasped, looking up at her again. The usual circles under his eyes were so dark it looked as though someone had punched him. His hands shook. "There's red lyrium up at the temple. Reports say it's showing up in more and more places." He let his hands fall limp, his elbows resting on his legs. "The song was so…much more than I remember. It made the pain disappear."

Walking across the floor with measured steps, Cassandra sat beside him, pausing only to adjust her sword as she settled in. They sat in silence a moment as she considered patting him on the shoulder. It seemed too condescending an action, so she kept her hands to herself.

Leliana had told her everything. They'd stupidly let the Herald talk to the prisoner alone. He'd feigned injury—or rather revealed it—to lure her in, and had then attacked her, using red lyrium from his own body. The second Finley had disappeared from view completely, Cullen had bolted forward, sword drawn. He'd killed the templar, but had frozen before he could tend to the Herald.

The red lyrium had called to him and he'd been helpless, staring at the shard on the ground and then picking it up. One of the guards said he'd started whispering something that they couldn't quite catch. The bits they had managed to make out had made no sense.

Leliana had knocked it out of his hand, and he'd turned on her. If he hadn't already dropped his sword and broken his left arm catching the shackle's chain, Cassandra loathed to think of how differently the scene might have played out. After knocking him out, Leliana had ordered the guards to take him out of the dungeon, to get him away from the lyrium and its hold on him.

One of the healers from the infirmary had come by to tend to his arm. Just fractures, they'd said. Solas had come by next, his spells undoing the damage. He'd said that Finley's wound wasn't responding to magic just yet, and Adan was washing it out.

It turned out that a piece of the red lyrium shard had broken off in Finley's arm. Adan had managed to get it out, but it had taken washing the wound out five more times before any magic had worked on the injury.

In that time, she'd slipped in and out of consciousness, whispering madly to anyone close enough to hear and begging them to make the others quiet down. Solas had claimed she wasn't talking of demons, but Adan had needed to step out after that.

Sera and Varric had gone to help Solas, though they'd both been equally horrified by the condition of their herald. Varric said it was similar to what had happened to his brother and Kirkwall's knight-commander.

Sera had screamed at them that if red lyrium started growing in Finley, she'd murder someone. Varric had taken her out to get some fresh air, and she'd bolted to the tavern, drowning herself to forget. Varric had stayed with her to make sure she didn't go too far.

It had been a rough two days, with both herald and commander out for the count.

"Solas said the red lyrium wasn't in her long enough to infect her," Cassandra finally offered. In truth, he'd said that he thought part of why she wasn't dead was actually the mark. The red lyrium seemed to be anti-magic, and the mark…it was strong magic. Strong enough to overpower the red lyrium. "Thanks to you, of course."

"Two things! All she had to do were two things!" Cullen swore, bowing his head and gripping his hair. "Don't cast and don't get close to him! Two things!"

"What matters is that both of you are recovering," Cassandra murmured, not sure what else to say.

"Two things…" Cullen whispered again. He clenched his fingers harder. "The song was so loud." The skin around his lips looked almost green, as though he might throw up at any moment. "If she dies, it's my fault."

"It is not," Cassandra snapped, rising to her feet. "It will take some time for her to mend, but that is her own doing, not yours."

"We knew it was a trap. Leliana and I both knew something was wrong." He shook his head. "We checked him for weapons, twice. But he didn't…how could we have known he be growing it in him?" He abruptly straightened up and stared down at himself, paling. "Do you think regular lyrium does the same…?"

"There are no records of such madness ever happening." Cassandra knelt in front of him, leaning forward to catch his gaze and holding it. "Cullen. You will be fine. She will be fine. We need our commander."

"I—" He closed his eyes, hanging his head in shame. He took one breath. Then another. Another. He opened his eyes and met her gaze, his regular determination slowly flickering back to life. "As you say, Seeker."

As he rose to his feet, she stood as well, reaching out and squeezing his shoulder. "I have handled what I could, but there are some matters which require your attention. Do not push yourself too hard, though."

He rubbed the back of his neck, turning to equip his armor. "Thank you."

"And we'll send someone to inform you when she wakes up." Cassandra paused in his door before she left, narrowing her eyes at him. "You can do this, Cullen. Believe in yourself."