– J.R. Reardon, author of Confidential Communications & Dishonored
“While I’ve certainly enjoyed my share of novels, few of them have left me wanting to rush out and by the sequel as much as this one does.”
– Debra Purdy Kong, author of Fatal Encryption & Taxed to Death
“Have you ever wondered how old the Sphinx really is? Have you been intrigued by the mysteries swirling like the desert sands around this awesome ancient monument? Rai Aren and Tavius E. have written a mesmerizing story in which two young archaeologists discover an artifact that could provide all of the answers. But they are not the only ones who are interested in this relic, for it holds a power unlike anything seen on Earth before... This novel is packed with adventure and suspense, and the style is fast-paced and filled with vivid description.”
– Susan Jane McLeod, author of Soul and Shadow & Fire and Shadow
“It is my belief that Rai Aren & Tavius E. fit as Master Storytellers and Great Authors.”
– Lance Oren, author of Chances R & Huracán
“A wonderful, exciting story!”
– Lila Pinord, author of Min’s Monster, Skye Dancer & Evil Lives in Blue Rock
“The mark of a truly good story is one that transcends the ages. Although the writers may base some of their novel in the past, a good yarn echoes into the present and future, as well. Secret of the Sands cherishes love, family and honor, condemns evil and treachery and presents us with a tantalizing theory of what lies beneath the great sphinx.”
– Ann B. Keller, author of The Devil’s Crescent & Crenellations
“Secret of the Sands mixes mystery, ancient Egypt, romance, and as well as paranormal elements to make a fascinating novel.”
– Cheryl Koch, Amazon Vine Voice
ALSO BY RAI AREN
Lost City of Gold
Secret of the Sands (with Tavius E.)
Destiny of the Sands (with Tavius E.)
Revelation of the Sands
The last three e-books are also available in a discounted box set:
The Secret of the Sands Trilogy
Click on the links below to learn more!
The Secret of the Sands Trilogy
You can also click here for the paperbacks on The Book Depository
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The Lost Metal Library
By Rai Aren
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination (excluding references to actual historical figures and events) or are used fictitiously and should not be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
THE LOST METAL LIBRARY. Copyright © 2021 by Rai Aren. All rights reserved. Published in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information address: [email protected]
FIRST EDITION – Published by RFS Publications, May 2021
Aren, R.
The Lost Metal Library: a novel/Rai Aren
Visit Rai Aren on the World Wide Web at:
www.raiaren.com
Cover design by Gary Val Tenuta, GVTgrafix: www.bookcoversandvideos.webs.com
Editing by Janet Bessey of Dragonfly Editing: dragonflyediting.blogspot.ca
Book formatting and design by: Maureen Cutajar, www.gopublished.com
For Indy,
If forever could be described as a feeling, you felt like forever…
“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.”
– Joseph Campbell
CONTENTS
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Other Works
PROLOGUE
Amazon rainforest, Ecuador, present day
“We’ve got to get these hidden, fast!” the young man said breathlessly, as he ran over to the small group of three fellow believers, two other young men and a young woman. Sweat poured down his face and back in the warm, humid chamber. He gazed up in awe at the massive, subterranean cavern, a stunning natural formation shaped like a cathedral. Its vast size, unmatched natural grandeur, and unusual features held many secrets, including housing some of the most extraordinary and powerful ancient artifacts on earth. It was a place of solemn reverence for their people.
This place was not on any map. It had never been photographed. No one else on earth knew of its existence, and they needed to keep it that way. At any and all costs.
They’d been forced into this position by foreign intruders who were now on the hunt for the priceless treasures they were desperately concealing. The intruders were clearly determined and getting far too close in their searches of the area. Members of their community had recently been reported missing under mysterious circumstances. They were certain the disappearances were related.
The consequential and transcendent exploration they were undertaking here, exploration that could change the very nature of their existence, would have to wait. It was now too dangerous. They could not risk losing control of this place or these artifacts. Far too much was at stake.
Their journey deep underground to this chamber had been a treacherous one. They had been forced to travel in the dark of night, separately, amongst predators of many kinds, in the dense and unforgiving Amazon jungle. A place that could swallow a person whole, never to be seen again by human eyes.
Inside the cavern, beams from their flashlights made the entire space seem alive with movement. The reflections off the artifacts and the chamber’s strange features were shining and glistening with the promise of the
