Mercy for the Serpent by Jaclyn Lewis

Phinehas is an overly confident drug distiller who finds himself in enemy territory on the jungle planet Trelisor. Goeh'el is a shoemaker with a secret. Their two paths become inseparable after Phinehas commits a murder during a theft gone bad. He is sentenced to death, but is redeemed by a last-minute substitute leading Phinehas through an emotional life-long struggle between guilt and forgiveness.

Is Phinehas the "one" that will fulfill the prophecy and bring peace to Trelisor and can the love of a Q'Zhedi's daughter help him find his way? This gripping story explores the costly price of grace and its far-reaching effects on the heart.