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“First, choose the men I’m to fight so that I can get a good look at them.”
Daniel lifted his arm once and the entire force moved from altered flight to levitation. After that, he made a few gestures and twenty warriors separated from the main force, ten grouping off to one side, ten to the other.
Shayna felt Marius’s sudden burst of excitement. He’d just accomplished the first part of their makeshift plan. But she wasn’t prepared at all for what he did next.
She felt a profound vibration flow through her blood-chain, then watched as Marius suddenly became two of himself.
She stared in utter astonishment, unable to believe what she was seeing. And the division of his physical self was completely equal because each wore the same clothes and had the same number of weapons.
She could tell that the Marius at the right was his primary self, though she didn’t know how exactly. He just felt stronger in some way, more present perhaps. But how was he doing something that seemed so impossible? Did he control the secondary Marius? Were they one consciousness but two bodies? Yes, lots of questions.
“We’re a much superior race,” Daniel said. “You should get used to that fact right away. Your days are numbered, Shayna. Human earth’s as well. It’s only a matter of time.”
She wanted to say something cutting again, but truthfully seeing two of Marius forced her to admit that Daniel, in this case, was absolutely right.
“My God,” she murmured.
“Precisely so,” Daniel responded. He sounded so self-satisfied that she wanted to kick him.
Marius glanced at her. Just be ready, because I don’t know when I’ll want you to hit the switch.
I’m ready.
She grew very calm and focused all her attention on him, forcing herself to take deep breaths.
Both right and left Mariuses pulled out a long chain in one hand and a dagger in the next. Each dropped to a fighting stance, the long chains whirring.
What happened next gave her vision a workout. Marius moved so fast that at times he seemed to disappear. And twenty adversaries moved rapidly trying to keep up with him, often colliding so that the battle appeared to be nothing but chaos.
She wondered what it was like for Marius.
* * *
Marius had never been so in sync during a split-self battle. His consciousness had control over both selves, yet each operated independently. He moved as fast as he had in Sweden, whipping through the air.
The two long chains had already dropped two vampires down to the floor below, a good sixty feet. But it was his dagger and whip-like movements that cut throat after throat. His secondary self proceeded in the same way.
More bodies fell, one after the other.
He never stopped moving and watched especially for those moments when one of Daniel’s men would collide with another. Twice he cut two throats at almost the exact same time, taking full advantage of their momentary confusion.
When one of Daniel’s men sliced Marius’s arm, and sent his blade falling to the floor below, Marius drew two more blades out at the same time, flew backward ten feet, synced up with his secondary self. Each began throwing daggers at lightning speed. He caught throat after throat, a precision he hadn’t had before.
He was ramped up high, ready to take on the rest of Daniel’s men, when Shayna’s voice pierced his mind. Marius, we’ve got to do this now. Daniel’s grip has slackened, something he doesn’t realize. I’m going to throw myself off the land bridge while hitting that button.
Give my about fifteen seconds. I need to reform first.
Got it.
Marius had no daggers left and drew out a short chain, as did his secondary self. Six vampires remained and while they waited for him to act, he reformed in a quick snap so that now he faced all six by himself. Even the process of bringing both selves together had speeded up.
He hung in the air, breathing hard, the remaining six of Daniel’s force doing the same. The rest of the vampires had started moving in closer, very slowly and probably on Daniel’s orders. He sincerely doubted his father would hold to the terms of wager.
He waited, shifting his gaze from one warrior to the next.
Ready? he asked Shayna.
Three … two … one …
