The moment I entered the lecture theater, my eyes settled on the Dumont brothers. Great, was I destined to spend every damned class with the pair of irritating fleas? Clearly that was the case. The only thing I could do at this point was ignore them.

As my gaze drifted over the gathering students, I caught sight of another familiar face. The half-smile and wave I began froze in place as Sashenka's eyes flickered away from me. She slunk down in her seat a little, not looking my ...