Silver Steps: The Heretics Cycle: Book 1

Her mother was a witch. Her father drowned his sorrows, first in drink, then in rage. Now fifteen-year-old daughter, Sashel, must shield her little sister from the pain of all they have lost. With her mental ailment shattering her focus, Sashel makes countless mistakes that make their situation all the more desperate.In a moment of devastation, Sashel runs deep into a forest and climbs a mystical staircase. Unbeknownst to her, its magic unleashes dark creatures from another world and attacks her village. To mend her mistake, she must battle a sadistic illusionist, tormenting spirits, monstrous creatures that can only be killed by revealing secrets, and living sand that traps people in their worst memories. If she succeeds, she must face the deadliest creature of all by using the very magic that branded her mother as a witch.