Free Created (Book 1 of the Created) by Shannon Shaw

could remember
weird facts about Super Bowls and vampires. At the moment, I felt it was less
important to know who the hell Roger Staubach played
for and more important to know that vampires tend to combust when exposed to
sunlight.
    Waiting for my death, I hoped I was more similar to Bayne
and less similar to Dracula.
    Expecting any second to burst into flame, I decided to die
like a man. Taking to my feet as the sound continued to lessen, I admired the
beauty of this sunrise thinking it could be my last.
    The sun shine warmed my cold, lifeless skin and had never
felt so alive.
    Veronica called, "Hey! Are you coming sometime
today?"
    A quarter mile away Veronica and Darby stared dumbfounded
back at me. Darby had the look I was sure was her signature grin on her face.
Veronica was a blank expression except for her eyes. Her eyes lied. They spoke
of a mischievous soul who was secretly laughing at a fledgling vampire.
    Jogging down the warming pavement to catch up again, I found
the pair waiting semi-patiently. "Sorry. I know you are already tired of
hearing it, but I am. The thoughts in my head don't match the reality I am
living."
    Darby giggled. “It’s fine.” She giggled again. “I am
guessing your first question about the sunlight will be why you don’t
explode."
    Darby and Veronica burst out laughing.
    I wasn't real positive what was so damn funny, but I was
sure it was about another vampire myth debunked. "Bursting into flames was
my most pressing concern."
    Veronica said in the tone of being a true tour guide,
"We are lucky. We are GV16s. Our generation is one of seven complete that
have a sun adaptation. Thankfully our creators found a solution to the variety
of offsets that were inherit in gene alteration. Our mutations are much more
subtle than some of the ones you may meet in Town."
    Before I had time to digest the newest upload of
information, Veronica finished. "And don't stare."
    Thinking of which question I should lead with as we walked,
I had forgotten the walking part. Veronica and Darby had begun the journey
without me again. From the agitated look upon Veronica's face as she checked on
my progress, I knew unless confronted by another monster we would not be stopping.
    Closing the distance, I opened with a question. "So
what is our adaptation?"
    Veronica and I paced in stride together, almost floating on
air, but something was off. She was distracted and far away, my question
floating away without an answer.
    Darby made the trip more bearable. Her personality was
contagious. She was bubbly and upbeat. As we prodded along in unison, she
seemed to bounce and not glide in step. Obviously without our shared affliction
Darby would have been an incredibly desirable young woman. She still was.
Curious thoughts of my vampire life interweaved with a longing for Darby. Even
she eventually faded away.
    My mind was wandering from the critical information I needed
to keep me from descending into madness. An unstoppable thought reverberated:
feed. The events with Bayne and the distraction of the sunrise had not
satisfied my hunger, but delayed it. The issue had fizzled into nothing more
than a hindrance. Now the hunger was scorching my stomach and throat.
    Veronica must have sensed my predicament. "The pain
will go away once you feed."
    I was trembling as I wrapped my arms around my torso to see
if I could make the pain go away. "How did you know?"
    "Your body chemistry is off, your eyes are blackening,
and you are shaking." Veronica rattled off.
    Looking to Darby, the slight nod meant her friend must be
right.
    Dropping from their sides, following behind, my hands sought
my face especially my eyes, but it was of no use I could not feel a change.
Smelling of me, there was no unusual odor. Even inside I was fine or so I
believed. I knew I felt normal except for the worsening hunger. Maybe since they were fully formed vampires, and not a changeling,
their senses worked at a level much higher than mine.
    My thoughts were