Lucien immediately began running tests, checking her temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, even drew a small blood sample to examine under a portable microscope.
"Her blood has both vampire and human cells. They're coexisting instead of the vampire cells fully replacing the human ones. It's like the transformation stopped halfway," he told them, looking up from the microscope with disbelief.
"That's impossible," Adrian said. "It's supposed to be all or nothing. You either change or you die. There's no in-between state."
"Well, look at her," Lucien said, gesturing at Lilian, "she's very much alive and very much in-between."
Dante ran a hand through his hair, looking frustrated that Lilian had never seen on him before. "We need to figure out what this means for her capabilities and limitations. Lilian, do you feel the hunger? The bloodlust?"
As if triggered by the question, the burning in her throat intensified. She could still smell their blood and wanted it, but the urge wasn't quite overwhelming as she had expected based on their descriptions of newborn hunger.
"Yes," she admitted. "I can smell your blood and I want it. But I don't feel like I'm going to go crazy and attack you. It's more like… a very strong craving."
"Manageable hunger, not full newborn bloodlust," Dante mused. "Interesting. What about your strength? Try to grip the edge of the mattress, gently."
Lilian gripped the edge of the bed and squeezed experimentally. The fabric compressed easily but didn't tear. She squeezed harder and the wooden frame beneath start to crack.
She froze, staring at her hand.
"It's definitely stronger than human…" she said. "I can tell I could break it if I wanted to, but I can also control how hard pressure I'm applying."
"Let's try a speed test. See if you can walk over to the dresser," Lucien suggested.
Lilian swung her legs off the bed and stood carefully. This time, her body obeyed her better, though she was still moving faster than she ever could have as a human.
She crossed the room toward the dresser quickly, but not with the supernatural blur she saw on Lucien.
"Enhanced, but not superhuman," Dante observed, tapping notes into his IPad. "You're faster and stronger than any human, but you're still much slower and weaker than a full vampire."
"What about sunlight?" Adrian asked suddenly. "That's one of the biggest weaknesses we have. If she's only partially transformed…"
All three of them looked at the windows, where the thick curtains block the last light of day outside.
"We should test it. But carefully. Even a little vampire DNA might react badly to UV rays," Lucien said.
Dante considered for a moment, then nodded. "Just small test. Only your hand, and only indirect sunlight. If you feel pain or burning, pull back immediately."
He led Lilian to the window and carefully opened the curtain just a few inches, just enough to let a thin beam of late afternoon light spill onto the floor.
"Put you hand in the light. Slowly, and be ready to pull back," Dante instructed.
Lilian hesitated, remembering his explanation about how sunlight destroyed vampire cellular structure. She extended her hand, inch by inch, until her fingers touched the light.
But nothing happened.
The sunlight felt warm on her skin, pleasant even. There was no burning, no pain, no strange reaction at all.
"It doesn't hurt," Lilian said wit wonder, turning her hand over in the light with wide eyes. "I can feel the warmth, but that's it."
Adrian stared at the process in amazement. "That's incredible," he whispered. "She can tolerate sunlight."
"Careful," Dante said, though he looked intrigued. "We don't know how long she can endure it. Direct midday sun could still be dangerous, but indirect sunlight isn't harming her. That alone is unheard of."
Lilian pulled her hand back and stared at it, unsettled. "So what does that make me? I'm not human and not vampire, what does that make me?"
"Something new that shouldn't exist," Dante said, thinking hard. "A hybrid. Half-vampire, half-human."
"We need to understand your limits," Lucien added, his mind looked like already planning what kind of tests they would do to her. "Can you survive on human food? Do you need blood to live, or just crave it? How much sun can you take? Where do your strength and speed actually cap out?"
"And we have to keep this secret," Adrian said sharply, his voice dropping. "If other vampires find out about a hybrid who can walk in the daylight, they won't leave you alone."
"Why?" Lilian asked, though she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.
"Because you'd be useful," Lucien said bluntly. "We're useless during the day. A hybrid with powers who can work in the sun would be a perfect weapon for the wrong people."
"You mean I'd be a weapon," Lilian said flatly.
"Yes," Dante confirmed, nodding. "Which is why no one outside us can know what you are. To the world, you're a normal newborn vampire."
"But I still need blood. I can smell yours, and I really want it," Lilian said, reminded by the burn in her throat was getting sharper.
Dante smiled. "We'll test that now. But first, can you eat human food? Are you hungry for anything besides blood?"
Now that he mentioned it, Lilian realized she could smell the broth and bread Ms. Hemsworth had brought earlier. And unlike what she had expected, it smelled good. Not as tempting as the blood, but she could definitely imagine eating it.
"I think I could eat," she said. "The food smells good. Not as good as blood, but it's good."
Adrian brought the tray over. "Try some," he encouraged. "See how your body reacts."
Lilian picked up a piece of bread, mindful of her new strength, and took a small bite. The flavor exploded on her tongue, more intense and detailed than she remembered as a human. She could notice every ingredient.
And when she swallowed, her stomach accepted it without issue.
"I can eat it. And it tasted amazing, actually. The taste is much more vivid," she told them.
"Enhanced senses with a human stomach," Dante noted, murmuring. "You've got the vampire perks with human biological functions."
Lucien opened the medical cooler and pulled out a blood bag. "Now let's see how you handle this."
The moment Lilian saw it, her focus snapped and locked onto it instantly. The burning in her throat intensified, and she felt her canine teeth ache and grow slightly longer. They weren't full fangs yet, but they were definitely sharp enough to draw blood.
"Interesting," Dante murmured as he watched her closely, noting her reaction. "Partial fang development. Hand her the bag, Lucien. Let's see how much control she has."
Lucien approached and held out the blood bag. Lilian reached for it, her hand moving faster than she had intended but she still managed to take it gently instead snatching it violently from his grip.
She brought the bag to her mouth and bit down, her slightly-elongated teeth piercing the plastic easily, and the blood flooded onto her tongue.
It tasted good. Incredibly good.
The burning in her throat eased instantly, replaced by deep sense of satisfaction that spread through her whole body.