The Ninth Lock

The Ninth Lock

Corin Vale makes his living opening locks that most people cannot-and carrying a family name that most people would rather forget.

Twenty years ago, Corin's father was blamed for a catastrophic magical disaster that killed Wardens and destroyed part of Ashkerath. His reputation was ruined, his career ended, and Corin has spent years living with the consequences.

Then Lord Alistair Thorne dies.

Behind the dead man's manor lies a vault sealed by nine extraordinary locks, each designed around a different test of memory, trust, sacrifice, and truth. Stranger still, Thorne left instructions naming Corin as the only person meant to open them.

As Corin works his way deeper into the vault, he begins finding pieces of a history that powerful people have spent decades trying to keep buried. With Inspector Sera Voss watching his back-and the Guildmaster demanding that everything discovered be handed over-Corin must decide how much he is willing to risk for a truth that could destroy the institution controlling his entire profession.

Because the deeper he goes, the clearer one thing becomes:

The vault was never built to protect treasure.

It was built to protect the truth.

And someone will do almost anything to make sure Corin never reaches the final lock.