Rise for Me

By Kristal Dawn Harris

Vampire and warlock, Roman Lee, spent centuries alone as ringmaster of the carnival. After befriending and healing a scarred, young woman, Roman realizes Mariah is his mate. He waits for her, but when she departs from his life, his torture knows no bounds. Now he's risen, unforgiving and angry, forced from his grave by the one woman who captured his heart, but will another secret and the call of his mate change everything?

The steady call of Roman's blood and the promise of peace brings Mariah Stone home to the carnival and the vampire she left behind. He ignores her until she forces him from the grave with her blood. His anger crushes her already broken spirit, but she is determined to win Roman's forgiveness and free him from their bond. Denied passion leads them down a path of magic and desire, while a devastating secret threatens eternal love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
• Release date: Feb 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781509235148

Kristal Dawn Harris

Kristal signed her first publishing contract with "The Rings of Faolan-Emeralds." She has an Accounting Tech degree from Miami University, but enjoys writing as a second passion. Kristal lives in Ohio with her husband of 27 years and works as an Office Coordinator in the local hospital. She has two children. Kristal enjoys a love for all types of romance, but in particular paranormal romance.

Book preview

Inc.

Mariah stopped directly over where she knew Roman rested. Her own blood surged in her veins every time she stepped on the worn plank. She tilted her head, listening to the call of his blood and the beat of his heart. Lizzie said he wasn’t feeding as much as he should, so there was one sure way to bring Roman out of his grave. She searched the room for something sharp until her gaze landed on a small, jeweled pocketknife. She grabbed it off the table and pulled the blade out of its slot. It was dull, but it would work.

Mariah placed the small blade against her left palm, then held it over the spot where she knew Roman rested. With one downward swipe, the blade pierced her flesh, opening a one-inch gash. Blood poured from the wound and dripped onto the rough, wooden floor planks. She crouched and held her palm over the crack between the boards, making sure the blood reached Roman. With a deep breath, she gathered her courage as her blood continued to splatter in droplets between the planks. The room seemed to groan, and every trinket vibrated when she finally called to the other half of her soul in a loud, demanding voice. Rise for me, Roman Lee.

Praise for the Author

Kristal Dawn Harris is a Rone Nominated, Crowned Heart of Excellence from Ind’Tale Magazine, Raven Award Nominated Author.

Rise for Me

by

Kristal Dawn Harris

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

Rise for Me

COPYRIGHT © 2021 by Kristal Dawn Harris

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Contact Information: [e-mail]

Cover Art by Debbie Taylor

The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

PO Box 708

Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

Publishing History

First Black Rose Edition, 2021

Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-3514-8

Published in the United States of America

Dedication

Rise for Me is dedicated to everyone out there

who is a little different.

I am disabled myself, so I know how it feels.

When people stare, they are mostly curious.

Hold your head high and

know that you can still make a difference!

Prologue

Small slivers of wood dropped onto the grass, creating a halo of cedar shavings against the green. Tree branches swayed over his head from the approaching storm, but still Roman Lee continued to work the block of wood with nothing but a simple carving knife. The leathery gray image of an elephant hovered in his mind as he formed the block of cedar. The spicey scent filled his nostrils with each inhale and, with it, some semblance of serenity. His fingers stopped moving when thunder rumbled from a great distance away. His gaze lifted momentarily only to witness a white flash still too far off to cause concern. It would be time to close long before the storm ever reached the carnival. The sharp blade slid into the wood again. His strokes were sure and steady. The corners of his mouth lifted in an almost smile when a small, wooden elephant finally rested in his palm. He turned it back and forth, satisfied with the craftsmanship, then placed it in a box next to his chair along with several others he’d completed. Roman didn’t know why he enjoyed woodcarving so much, but it helped pass the time in his immortal life.

A feminine squeal interrupted his thoughts, causing Roman to glance to one of the game booths in his carnival. A teenage girl jumped up and down when her boyfriend won the dart game and handed her an enormous, pink unicorn. Roman studied the couple as they left the booth hand in hand. Sorrow clogged his throat for the one thing he’d never have, but it was short-lived when the sound of harsh words reached his sensitive ears. The pointed tip of the knife stuck in the ground as Roman slowly rose from his seat beneath the tree. The shadows concealed his form, so no one knew he lingered there or that the ringmaster missed no detail.

Roman silently slid among the buildings, following the sounds until he reached the clearing close to the caravan wagons. He paused in the shadows, watching two men take turns rummaging through each caravan and returning with anything of value. The corners of Roman’s lips lifted in a snarl as sharp, pointed fangs slid from his gums to rest against his lower lip. The Romani didn’t have much in the way of material possessions and little money. Roman lifted his face to the crescent moon before striking hard and fast, drinking his fill, then using glamor to force the two men to forget the entire incident. While the thieves staggered into the open field, Roman replaced the things they’d stolen with care.

Once finished, he returned to his concealed spot beneath the shade tree and grabbed another block of wood as if nothing had happened. With his hunger sated, and the thieves sent on their way, he tipped his chair back against the tree on a deep sigh. Bright lights lit the carnival, children played, and couples strolled by, but