Table of Contents THE ARKANA MYSTERIES: BOXED SET #2 INTO THE JAWS OF THE LION Chapter 1—Knot Good Chapter 2—Malled By a Tiger Chapter 3—Shop Talk Chapter 4—Rare Collectibles Chapter 5—Toasted Breadcrumbs Chapter 6—Good for What Ales You Chapter 7—Special Delivery Chapter 8—An Overview of India Chapter 9—Ferry Tales Chapter 10—Monkey Around Chapter 11—A Moving Site Chapter 12—Club Rules Chapter 13—Daddy Day Care Chapter 14—Urban Decay Chapter 15—The Pen Is Mightier Than the Truth Chapter 16—The Benefit of a Doubt Chapter 17—Hunt for Prey Chapter 18—Right of Passage Chapter 19—Final Dissent Chapter 20—Burning Questions Chapter 21—Say It with Flowers Chapter 22—Sexual Disorientation Chapter 23—Steak Out Chapter 24—Fireworks Chapter 25—Follow the Sun Chapter 26—Unstrung Chapter 27—Snow Fun Chapter 28—Timing Is Everything Chapter 29—Distress Call Chapter 30—Come Spy with Me Chapter 31—An Immodest Proposal Chapter 32—Three Little Words Chapter 33—Silent Night Chapter 34—False Gods Chapter 35—Baggage Transfer Chapter 36—Hannah Montana Chapter 37—Doubleheader Chapter 38—Brotherly Love Chapter 39—Simply Breathtaking Chapter 40—Triple Play Chapter 41—Native Son Chapter 42—Divinest Sense Chapter 43—Observations Chapter 44—Witch Doctor Chapter 45—Dead-End Street Chapter 46 —Azrael’s Apprentice Chapter 47—Shrine Circus Chapter 48—Murphy’s Codicil of Optical Occlusion Chapter 49—A Flawless Plan Chapter 50—Relatively True Chapter 51—Hitting Home Chapter 52—Tempests ‘n’ Teapots Chapter 53—A Hard River to Find Chapter 54—Regression Analysis SECRETS OF THE SERPENT’S HEART Chapter 1—How a Golden Age Turns Bronze Chapter 2—Legal Threshold Chapter 3—Formal Invitation Chapter 4—Go with the Flow Chapter 5—Feathered Fiend Chapter 6—Time and Tide... Chapter 7—Paper, Airplanes Chapter 8—Vanishing Point Chapter 9—Jaded Travelers Chapter 10—Incendiary Prose Chapter 11—Informed Observer Chapter 12—It’s Hip to Be Square Chapter 13—Dancing Around the Problem Chapter 14— A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with a Single Steppe Chapter 15—What Dreams May Come Chapter 16—The Wheel Facts Chapter 17—Flight to Suburbia Chapter 18—The Pits Chapter 19—Getting Warmer Chapter 20—Reason to Retrieve Chapter 21—What’s Around the Bend Chapter 22—Power Beauty Tips Chapter 23—Lame Excuses Chapter 24—High Way to Heaven Chapter 25—Upon Reflection Chapter 26—Antipodal Alliance Chapter 27—Psychic Friends Network Chapter 28—Abominable Writing Chapter 29—Location, Location, Location Chapter 30—Dead Zone Chapter 31—Crowning Moment Chapter 32—Termination Benefits Chapter 33—Keyless Entry Chapter 34—Photo Opportunity Chapter 35—Leroy and the Bandits Chapter 36—Scene Stealers Chapter 37—Nephilim Ninjas Chapter 38—Planned Aggression Chapter 39—Arrivals and Departures Chapter 40—An Enemy in Need Chapter 41—Silence Is Golden Chapter 42—Embracing Truth Chapter 43—Aftershock Chapter 44—Choosing Up Sides Chapter 45—Cage Fighters Chapter 46 —One Step Beyond Chapter 47—Bad News Bearer Chapter 48—Phantom Pains Chapter 49—Going Dark Chapter 50—Recyclables THE SAGE STONE PROPHECY Chapter 1—Past Perfect, Future Tense Chapter 2—Truce or Dare Chapter 3—Hear, Say Chapter 4—Don’t Ask, Don’t Call Chapter 5—Of Mies and Men (and One Woman) Chapter 6—Smoke and Mirrors Chapter 7—Top End Down Under Chapter 8—Dumb Plan Chapter 9—On the Rocks Chapter 10—Celestial Sex Trafficker Chapter 11—Special Effects Chapter 12—Island Time Chapter 13—Character Assassination Chapter 14—Survivor Immunity Chapter 15—Punch Drunk and Disorderly Chapter 16—Good Cop, Bad Cop, Cross Examiner Chapter 17—Who Ya Gonna Call? Chapter 18—River Dance Chapter 19—Let It Ride Chapter 20—Need to Know Chapter 21—Mother and Sun Chapter 22—Lend Me Your Ears Chapter 23—Psychic Physics 101 Chapter 24—Sure as Shootin’ Chapter 25—Making Tracks Chapter 26—Receiving Holy Orders Chapter 27—Ritual Slaughter Chapter 28—Fresh Targets Chapter 29—Cut It Out Chapter 30—Static Cling Chapter 31—Making a Love Connection Chapter 32—The Lady in the Lake Chapter 33—Water, Water, Everywhere Chapter 34—Queens of Denial and Other River Lore Chapter 35—Do Not Open Til Doomsday Chapter 36—The Polar Bear Chapter 37—Global Warning Chapter 38—Massif Obstacles Chapter 39—Artifact Retrieval on a Large Scale Chapter 40—The Devil Is in the Details Chapter 41—Nailed Chapter 42—Changing of the Guard Chapter 43—Forced Retirement Chapter 44—Prophet and Loss Chapter 45—Do You Believe in Magic? Chapter 46—Suicide Mission Chapter 47—Waffles for Lunch Chapter 48—Simply Revolting Chapter 49—Cabin in the Sky Chapter 50—A Verbis Ad Verbera Chapter 51—Lives in the Balance Chapter 52—Parting Shots Chapter 53—The Last Detail Chapter 54—Back to the Garden Chapter 55—Réveille GLOSSARY OF NAMES SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY AUTHOR BIO BOOKS BY N. S. WIKARSKI OTHER USEFUL INFO IF YOU ENJOYED THIS BOOK THE ARKANA MYSTERIES: BOXED SET #2 Books 5 - 7 by N. S. Wikarski The Arkana Mysteries: Boxed Set #2 Books Five Through Seven – Arkana Archaeology Mystery Thriller Series http://www.mythofhistory.com Copyright © 2020 by N. S. Wikarski All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. INTO THE JAWS OF THE LION Into the Jaws of the Lion Book Five of Seven—Arkana Archaeology Adventure Series http://www.mythofhistory.com Copyright © 2014 by N. S. Wikarski Second Revised Edition 2017 All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. Chapter 1—Knot Good In a Foreign Land – Long Past Midnight “Watch out!” The pythia’s warning came too late. Several dark figures swarmed from behind the boulders lining the trail, jumping Cassie and Griffin. Before the pair knew what was happening, they were body-slammed to the ground. Half a dozen voices were talking at once, demanding answers in a language Cassie didn’t understand. She blinked as half a dozen flashlights pointed their intrusive beams in her face. “What’s going on?” she asked dazedly. “Does anybody here speak English?” More voices joined the hostile chorus. Rough hands reached out to drag her toward some unknown destination. She stumbled up a rock-strewn path and was thrust inside a small tent. Griffin was propelled in after her. Two of their assailants followed and forced them to sit back-to-back against the central tent pole, tethering their hands to the stake with thick hemp rope. Without a word of explanation, their attackers left and shut the tent flap behind them. The voices outside continued to angrily debate some unknown topic. Cassie tried to twist around but couldn’t. “Griffin?” she called anxiously. “Are you alright?” She felt the reassuring pressure of his fingers looping through hers. “I’m fine, all things considered. And you?” “Other than a few bruises, I’m OK too,” she answered. The two of them sat back-to-back in silence for several moments, listening to the bellowing match outside. The scrivener shrugged philosophically. “On the whole, this night might have gone worse. Whoever they are, at least they didn’t kill us.” “The night’s not over yet,” Cassie remarked ominously. Chapter 2—Malled By a Tiger Chicago Suburbs – A Few Months Earlier Faye sank gratefully
