Nathanael rescues Madalyn from the horror of war when she is six, and sets the rhythm for their lives. Whenever Madalyn finds herself in trouble--which is too often--Nathanael bails her out.

As they mature, this special bond deepens, and Nathanael becomes more than Madalyn's protector. He is the man she will marry in a big church with all the trappings.

Though Nathanael loves Madalyn, he has dedicated his soul to the work of God. Missionaries are needed to bring God to the savage Fetis. Nathanael hopes to avert another bloodbath like the one that orphaned him and Madalyn.

Another sentient creature lives on Neworld, the last of his kind. He's fascinated by the frail bipeds. Except for his six wings, they are physically identical, down to the jointed fingers. Could these bipeds be strong enough to bear his seed? Will his mighty race finally live again?

EXCERPT

By the time the colonists landed on the alien planet, it was already named Neworld, not original perhaps, but like most monikers, it was born from a collective mind. This colonization had been planned and executed for over fifty-six years. Some of the adolescents that stumbled off the ships had never seen earth. Their first experience with sky happened when they lifted their noses into the vibrant air. The ground was disturbingly silent beneath their feet. Hot wind ruffled the hairs on their arms.

No one would be returning to earth. The ships were designed to be broken down and reassembled as shelters. Within days, they were living in relative comfort tucked into a valley between a green sea and a blue desert.Standing in the metal portals of their new homes, they gazed across a land shaped by a subtle breath. The trees were yellow-gold as if kissed by the sun; the sea bottomless and filled with fish; the horizon a pale blue line, drawn in child's chalk. Birds chattered in the ears of those first eager settlers, flapping their wings, saying, "Follow me! Follow me!" It was a land where anything was possible, but everything still steeped in faith of the probable. The earthmen claimed Neworld and slowly built homes while reclaiming their land legs.

Perched atop an outcropping of stone that hung over the valley like a shading hand, a creature watched this new hive with interest. The flimsy bipeds were intent on conquering his world, but he was more amused than concerned.