"Keep your voice down, would you?" Felix said, shaking his hood off as he entered the main hall.

"Have you been followed?" Dorian said, walking up eagerly to meet him.

"Not yet, but it won't be long before your yelling brings the whole village here, dumbass."

Sera cackled from her pew, and Vivienne hid a snort behind her hand.

"Oh how you embarrass me in front of my new friends," Dorian said, reaching out an arm to help steady Felix as he reached the altar.

Felix laughed. He embraced Dorian, tucking his face into the mage's chest. They didn't let go of each other for several seconds. Bryn felt strange witnessing it, as if he were looking in through someone's home window. The knot in his stomach shifted in a different way.

"You play the illness card?" Dorian asked as they broke apart.

"Yeah," Felix nodded. "Really shouldn't have though, I thought my father would never let me leave after that."

Dorian gripped Felix's arm, but he shrugged him off.

"I have news," Felix said, his gaze shifting worriedly around the room. "Pretty bad news. It's what we suspected, but my father, Alexius — he's — well, he's joined the Venatorri."

"Bastard," Dorian said, smacking his palm against a pillar.

"I know. I'm trying to figure out how long it's been—"

"Doesn't matter, does it?"

"Well—"

"Would someone care to explain who the Venatorri are," Bryn interrupted, thoroughly annoyed by the onslaught of information now, the pain in his hands and shoulder gnawing at him.

"They're proper Tevinter Imperium supremacists," Dorian spit, his face lined with loathing. "A new group that's been stirring, picking up strength."

"A cult, more like," Felix said.

"And what do they want?" Iron Bull asked, letting the hilt of his axe fall to the floor with a heavy thud.

"Well," Felix said, taking a nervous half step away from Bull and turning to Bryn. "The Inquisitor."

Bryn felt the weight of every head in the room turn to look at him. It wasn't a surprise, not anymore.

"I'm flattered."

"And I'm jealous," Dorian said. "Why'd no one from Tevinter ever want me like that?"

"My father knew that going after you directly was too risky, now that you've got the power of the Inquisition behind you," Felix said. "Going through the rebel mages was the only way to reach you, 'cause they were the only group down here weak enough for my father to take control of."

"And you were bound to go to the mages for help at some point," Dorian added, sitting down on the altar steps and stretching his long legs out in front of him.

"Getting to the mages before your people was the only tricky part, since there's no way he could've gotten here first from Tevinter. Hence—"

"Time magic," Bryn said, a wave of understanding crashing over him.

Dorian and Felix nodded.

"So Alexius set up this false negotiation with us about the rebel mage support and then... what? He's going to—"

"Kidnap you, yes," Felix said bluntly. "Or kill you. I'm not quite sure on that detail."

"Why should we trust you?" Vivienne asked, stepping forward with all of her enchanter authority. "Alexius is your father, yes? Why are you betraying him?"

"Same reason as his ex-apprentice," Felix said, glancing down at Dorian. "I loved him once, but he's gone mad. He's trying to cure me, but he—"

Felix sighed deeply, running his hands through his hair. Dorian jumped up from the steps and gripped his arm again.

"See, I'm very ill, and no healer has been able to tell us why," Felix continued weakly. "I assume you can see that money is no issue for us, so it's — well, that's beside the matter. I accepted my fate long ago, but my father is obsessed with saving my life. He's tried anything. And now he's convinced this magic is the answer."

Bryn paused, looking at Felix's face for the first real time since he'd met him. His skin was gaunt and ashen, and if he hadn't already seen it, Bryn would have guessed he'd be too weak to walk. Dorian's fingers dug into the fabric of his loose shirt, holding on tightly.

"I'm sorry," Bryn said stiffly, feeling again like he was looking onto something private. "But what does that all have to do with me?"

"Well, he's obsessed with you too." Felix shook his arm lightly out of Dorian's grip, stepping towards Bryn. "This whole cult is. But I don't know why. Maybe because you survived the Temple—"

"You survived the Temple of Sacred Ashes, you walked out of the Breach with a glowing hand, you're closing rifts left right and center, saving people's crops and cows and husbands and wives and children — and that's without even mentioning your hair," Dorian said, staring at Bryn, who was beginning to feel a slow wave of heat crawl up his neck. "There's a reason the whole damn world is obsessed with you."

"They see you as a threat, I think," Felix said, eyeing Dorian curiously. "If your powers are coming from the same source, then you may be the only one that could stop them."

"And we must stop them," Dorian said, beginning to pace yet again. "That magic is unstable. It's already messing with the time around Redcliffe. We don't want to see what happens if he takes it any further."

A silence fell across the room. The chantry had grown dark without Bryn noticing, the sun having set deep below the lake. A few candles remained flickering, their long shadows dancing on the walls. His stomach turned as his eyes flicked across the demon remains on the floor, remembering the way the rift had twisted reality beyond anything recognizable earlier. Bryn had no idea what to make of all this information, and even less so of the man presenting it to them. He hoped it was dim enough that no one could make out the blush still lingering on his face.

"So what should I do?" Bryn said, his voice catching in his throat.

"Well, step one is to stand up my father's offer for negotiations," Felix said. "You heard him, he refuses to talk anywhere except the Redcliffe castle. It is obviously a trap."

"And then talk to your Inquisition about the best way to capture him," Dorian said. "You have the means to do this, yes?"

Bryn looked towards Vivienne. She sighed, tapping her thumbs on her staff before responding.

"Whether or not this is true time magic—"

"It is," Dorian mumbled.

"This Alexius is a threat," Vivienne finished, pursing her lips. "I don't like the idea of an Imperium magister meddling in things. We'll take this information to Leliana and Cassandra, and see what they think of it."

"Thank you, Enchanter Vivienne," Dorian said, giving her a small bow.

"It is decided then," Felix said solemnly. "I suggest you leave quickly, and I must return to my father. We don't want him to get suspicious. Dorian will know how to contact me."

And with that, he gave them all a curt nod before exiting the way he came as quickly as his limp would allow. Dorian watched him go before letting out a deep sigh, and then circled the chantry to put out candles with his fingertips.

"So we're done here?" Sera jumped up from her pew.

"Indeed," Vivienne said, conjuring a flame in her hands as the chantry fell into near blackness. "And where will you be going, Mr. Pavus?"

"Well," Dorian turned to face Bryn, pausing at the last candle. "I believe Felix and I just saved your life, Inquisitor. Surely this will be enough for you to accept my help?"

Bryn let out a tired sigh, his eyes meeting Dorian's in the dark.

"Yes," Bryn said, reaching out his hand. "Your help will be greatly appreciated."

"Excellent," Dorian beamed, grasping Bryn's hand with both of his. His hands were strong, and still warm from the fire he had just put out. "Mutual appreciate is a grand way to begin."