Diego disilva escapes death at the hands of the man he called father only to be thrust into an uncertain future with a shadowy cortez, his alien allies the dark suns, and a mexica emperor determined to drive cortez and the dark suns from the new world. diego must overcome his fear of his psychic abilities and escape cortez and his allies if he is to survive. his curiosity about a book called the codex of flowering butterfly ends in a chance encounter with an alien device used by the dark suns. diego flees to the camp of the mexica where he confronts his greatest fear as he trains to become a light dancer and face the mind jewel. can he overcome his past and his fears in time to help the mexica drive the dark suns from their land? and what of the strange prophecy that states a war will start in this world and end in another? as diego is drawn deeper into the conflict between old enemies, he finds that knowledge is his best ally.