Jack sighed with frustration. "I can't risk taking you home, Sophie. Pitch knows who you are now. You wouldn't be safe."

Sophie was leaning against the wall. She felt sick. What had she been thinking? Like Jack had said, it was too dangerous for her to go home. What would her parents think? They would wake up, find her missing... They'd be panicking...

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice quiet. "I just wanted to help. I wasn't thinking..." Despite everything, Sophie couldn't help but feel slightly pleased. She wouldn't have to go home, or go to college. She had no choice but to stay here. It was strangely relieving. A fantasy like this was all she'd ever dreamed of, all she'd ever wanted, and she felt her heart thud against her chest in excitement.

"We'll have to find you somewhere to stay," North announced, after an awkward silence. "Don't worry. We'll sort this out, and you'll be safe here." He hurried away, a couple of yetis following him.

Sophie looked over at Jack. He was twirling his staff in his hand, a worried look on his face, and Sophie could guess what he was thinking. He'd brought her here, and now she was trapped here, her life in danger. He would probably be blaming herself.

"I don't mind so much," she spoke up nervously. "I don't think there's any place better to be stuck. Thank you for taking me here, Jack. I mean it." She smiled, and he smiled back, but it looked forced.

North burst back into the room a few minutes later. "There's a room you can stay in, Sophie. The yetis are preparing it for you. Meanwhile, we will have to think about how to deal with Pitch. Jack, you know which room it is- the one you slept in when you first became a guardian. You can show her." He walked over to the other guardians.

"Why do I have to show her?" Jack asked rudely. Sophie's eyes widened in surprise. North looked shocked, too. "What's wrong, Jack?" he asked. He didn't seem annoyed, just concerned.

Jack shook his head with a sigh. "Nothing's wrong. Come on, Sophie, I'll show you." He strode out of the room, frowning. Confused, Sophie hurried after him.

She desperately wanted to talk to Jack, to ask him what was wrong, but he hurried through the palace so fast that she was almost jogging to keep up. He led her up an enormous staircase, beautifully decorated with fancy stair rails, covered in a thick, velvety red carpet. Jack led her through intricately decorated corridors, tiny elves scurrying all over the place, the bells on their heads jingling gently.

Eventually, Jack stopped in front of a polished mahogany door. He turned the gold handle and held it open. Sophie stepped into the room.

It was beautiful. An enormous, old-fashioned four-post bed stood in the centre of the room. The blankets were red, the pillows fluffy white. On the small table beside it stood a small lamp, giving the room a soft glow. An enormous window took up most of the space along the far wall. Sophie hurried over to it excitedly, resting her hands on the windowsill to look out at the view. All she could see was endless snow, sparkling, and mountains towering over the palace, jagged against the darkening sky. The Northern Lights were just visible, shimmering faintly like ribbons in the evening.

"This is amazing!" she breathed, shivering with excitement. She turned to Jack. He smiled faintly, but didn't meet her gaze.

"I can fly back to yours and help you get your things, if you want," he offered.

"I'll come with you," she said, jumping at the chance to go home even for a few minutes. North's palace was the most amazing place she'd ever been to, but she wanted to see her home again for the last time. She didn't know when she'd be going back.

Jack shrugged. "Sure. Come on, let's get going," he said, leaving the room. She stared after him for a moment before following, wondering if she'd done something wrong.