God's Fires — Patricia Anthony

In Portugal, where the Inquisition protects the true word of God, Father Manoel Pessoa has begun to hear strange confessions from the villagers of Quintas. Glowing lights in the sky. Angels who lie with village women. A virgin birth. Strangest of all, some people--including King Afonso himself--have seen a ship fall to Earth, round like an acorn. From inside come three creatures--slight of build, wide-eyed, amazing in their silence. Could they be angels? Or devils sent to tempt people from the true faith? The inquisitor-general will certainly learn the truth, as is his divine mission.

And all the while, the smell of burning grows stronger in the air.