Eyes of Gold

Centuries after Dragavei's death, a unique family of vampires lived on, known for their ability to walk in the sun. They were the Vlads, and this special gift was attributed to their patriarch, Andrei Nicolae Vlad, whose lineage traced directly back to Dragavei, the dark lord — the most powerful and feared vampire to have ever walked the earth.

Soon, Dragos Nicolae Vlad III was born into this family, and he turned out to be the strongest of his kind. The circumstances surrounding his birth were mysterious. Unlike most vampires who were made, not born, Dragos was a pure-blooded vampire from birth, just like his ancestor Dragavei.

Word of his birth spread quickly among vampire clans, and they didn't see him as an anomaly like his older brother. He was a miracle.

To some, Dragos represented hope, to others, he was Dragavei reborn. And to many, he was believed to be the Chosen One... the one who would lead the vampires in their dominance over humanity.

As Dragos grew, he was raised in acts of pure savagery, developing an insatiable thirst for human brutality. His older brother, Azrael, found a way to lure innocent victims to their hidden villa where he unleashed Dragos upon them.

No bodies were ever found, and no investigations were ever conducted.

But Dragos met a woman and fell in love. She calmed him, turning him from his dark ways. This displeased Azrael a great deal and he murdered her, convinced that after her death, Dragos would return to his old ways or even due to his grief, become worse.

He needed his brother to be ready to fill in the void their ancestor had left behind, and that included him being more vicious than ever, but Dragos did not go back to his dark ways. The death of his lover changed him for the better... permanently.

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PRESENT DAY.

JULY, 2023.

BLUE COVE TOWN, GRAND CAYMAN.

DAWN CARTER

I rang the doorbell to the gigantic mansion and patiently waited for a response.

It was a bright morning in Blue Cove and the first day of my employment at the mansion of the richest family in the Caymanian Islands—the Vlads.

I was a bit overjoyed.

As told by the rumors, the villa was enormous, its vastness seeming to have no end. A car had come to pick me up from the main gate and still drove past hectares of lush green land with numerous gardens and towering trees.

The main house stood in the center of the estate. A grand masterpiece of the finest architecture.

Now, as I waited in front of the large door, I could not help but thank my lucky stars for landing me a job in such a prestigious place.

Hastily, I patted down my red locks and smoothened down the sides of my plaid skirt. It was important to maintain a presentable appearance.

Being dismissed or fired on the first day due to looking unpresentable, was not a risk I was willing to take, not especially when my future and that of my mother depended on it.

Her words continued to resound in my ears.

"Just keep calm, and be yourself. Also, don't forget to smile"

Just as I plastered on a smile, the door to the mansion was opened by a beautiful, yet pale-looking woman dressed extravagantly, whom I presumed to be the mother of the household— Darcia Vlad.

She appeared to be young. Younger than the rumors flying around claiming she was in her forties, but she wasn't lacking in looks or physique.

For a woman, she was tall. Statuesque. Her thick black hair was wound around her head tightly in a braided crown and her neck was adorned with bogus jewelry that must have cost a great fortune.

Her cat-like eyes slowly inspected me, and for some reason, I froze, every bit of confidence I had, vanishing into thin air.

Every shred of courage I had built up day after day of practicing in front of the mirror was gone in seconds. And all it had taken was one look. One, from this beautiful, intimidating matriarch.

Something about the woman's presence sent chills down my spine. Perhaps it was the aura of authority she gave off. An aura that communicated, very clearly, it could not be rivaled.

"Good morning, ma'am. I'm here for the job" I said, as soon as I finally managed to speak, hoping I had done a good job in masking the nervous tremble in my voice.

"Ah, yes... you must be Dawn" Mrs Vlad's eyes slowly swept over my form, further making me uncomfortable, but I responded, "Yes, ma'am. Dawn Carter"

"Come in"

She turned around and strutted inside. "Your job here is two things. First, you will personally tend to the needs of my sons, Azrael and Dragos. Their rooms are your responsibility"

"Alright, ma'am"

"You will see to them being kept clean and handle any requests they make. They can be... particular, so you must do things to their liking," she explained.

Inside the house was magnificent, its entrance brightened up by a massive chandelier. The floors were made of pure marble that was polished till they glistened and the walls were tiled exquisitely, furnished to the most modern tastes.

Everything in the house was state-of-the-art, yet it still maintained some ancient feel.

I stopped gawking and paid attention to what my employer was saying.

Darcia sat down on a sofa, crossing her legs gracefully. "Second," she continued, "you will help manage the rest of the household. We have a domestic staff, but I want you to coordinate everything. Oversee the operations, make sure the staff is doing their jobs properly, and handle any issues that arise. Think of it as ensuring that everything runs smoothly"

I nodded in understanding.

"When addressing my sons, you must show respect," she said, her expression serious. "I expect you to refer to them as 'Lords.'"

I was surprised but kept my reaction hidden.

Who still insisted on being called 'Lord' in that day and age?

As if sensing my thoughts, Darcia added, "A bit old-fashioned, I know. But we're a very traditional family, and Romanian royalty, after all."

"Whatever you wish, ma'am" I said

She paused, leaning into the sofa. "My sons are particularly sensitive about their rooms, so I expect you to pay extra attention to them. Check them regularly, keep everything in order, but respect their privacy... just make sure it's done. Especially with Dragos. Don't leave his room until his requests are fulfilled."

Who was I to complain? I was getting paid a lot more than what I was instructed to do.

"You will sleep in one of the rooms downstairs during the weekdays. On weekends, you're free to go home. Renfrey, our head of staff, will show you to your quarters."

Darcia straightened. "Renfrey!" she called out. An unhealthily skinny man dressed in an oversized suit appeared at the door.

"That will be all for now," she said "You'll begin with Dragos' room. It's the first door on the right, upstairs."

Her cold eyes lingered on my face, and I gave a slight bow, replying curtly, "Yes ma'am"

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After dropping my things at my assigned quarters and familiarizing myself with the kitchen which was a few doors away, I headed up to the first room on the right as I had been instructed, and knocked gently on the huge wooden door, glancing around.

There was something off about the mansion. The entire house had an eerie vibe, a type of gloominess that could be felt in every corner, accompanied by a silence that made me uneasy.

It was rather strange, having all these rich, impressive facilities and still lacking the warmth that made a house feel like a home.

I knocked once more and on getting no response, walked into the room, assuming Dragos wasn't in after all. Perhaps he had left without his mother's knowledge.

The room was dark, and I squinted, watching my steps while I searched for a light switch.

Unable to find one, I felt my way along the wall to avoid stumbling, until I reached the curtains. I swept them aside, allowing some rays of sunshine to spill into the room. But even still, it wasn't bright enough. There was a huge tree stationed in front of the windows, its branches stretching out and hindering proper illumination.

My job wasn't to clean, but to make sure the room was in proper order and to see if Dragos had any specific requests. Since he wasn't in, I figured I'd at least check for other things that needed attention.

The first thing I had to tackle was obvious—the lighting issue.

As I looked around the room for any more faults, a sudden movement in the dark corner caught my attention.

Startled out of my wits, I leaped back in fear, grabbing the first object my hands landed on— a lamp, and holding it in front of me defensively, like a weapon.

Slowly, I watched a figure emerge from the far corners of the darkness.

As he drew closer to where I stood, the sunlight streaming through the window revealed his features.

He was tall, with a lean, chiseled physique, and his shoulders were broad, the muscles in his arms visible beneath the material of his casual, black T-shirt.

Silver-blonde hair spilled from his head, falling loosely around his face, making him look both appealing and wild, in a way.

I couldn't look away from this beautiful man, stunned by his jaw-dropping facial features— the sharpness of his jaw and cheekbones, his straight nose, his perfect mouth, and by the heavens, his expressionless golden brown eyes.

Eyes that stared straight into mine, locking me in a world that felt both dangerous and irresistibly seductive.

I fought back a shudder, muttering a silent curse under my breath.

So, this was Dragos.