Game On.

Hard choices

"How did you know?" Asked Lindsay, awed. They were back in the library, walking up a very colourful set of stairs, built of a mish-mash of items, ranging from plants, to cutlery, to random items of clothing.
"It actually wasn't the hard. I knew Talitha would want to increase the chances of our demise, and would probably play some trick. Otherwise, she would have been risking the chance we could actually guess right, even by accident. And besides, they were all just too similar."
"Well thank god for your observational and logic skills." Moira said, holding Harry's shoulder for support as she dragged herself along. They always seemed a bit drained after the effects of the game.

"Okay," Cat was returning to role of team leader. "Split up, and let's find that riddle!"

Valerian spotted it first. Instead of immediately calling the others, she unpinned it from the shelf and turned it over in her hands. The patterning on the envelope reminded her of her dilemma. She didn't want to betray Cat or the others, but she knew that Julian wasn't making an empty threat. Blaze's life was at stake here.
A plan formed in her mind.

"Hey, I've found it!"
Valerian's shout was heard by the others, and in two seconds everyone was jubilantly racing over to her.
They all stared in horror at the scene before them.
Valerian stood there, with a fist full of fire, with which she was threatening to burn the riddle.
"Valerian, what are you doing?" Asked Cat, slowly walking towards the visibly panicking girl.
"I said we shouldn't have trusted her, I said she'd betray us!" Harry said angrily.
"Don't move. I'll burn it if you come any closer. I will!"
Everyone froze. Cat stopped walking forwards, but instead she held her hands out in front of her, as if she were trying to sooth a frightened animal. "Don't do it, Valerian. Whatever they've told you to persuade you to do this, it's not worth it."
"You're telling me Blaze's life isn't worth it?" She screeched,the flames heightening. The edge of the envelope began to smoke.
Cat desperately tried to back track.
"I don't mean he's not worth doing anything for, I just mean... Come on, Valerian, there has to be another way! Something other than burning the riddle, we'd all help you."
Valerian paused for a moment. "Actually, burning the riddle isn't what's going to save Blaze. It's just incentive for you to do it."
Cat began slowly walking towards Valerian again. "What do you need me to do?"
Valerian extinguished the flame and put her hand into her pocket, withdrawing the apple. "Eat this." She said.