Crystal Skies was to be married and then wasn’t. Now he’s got blood on his sharp feathers. Forced to move to Baltimare while the incident cools down, he learns stuff about himself he didn't know: who he is, what's love, who he loves, and where friendship begins and ends, amongst other things. He gets involved with gangsters. Intimately. Not as strange as it might seem, considering his fiancée’s Family background.

This is a standalone novella that incidentally takes place in the Enforcerverse. It features Starlight Glimmer in a supporting role as Grimoire, many years before the Our Town incident. Having read The Runaway Bodyguard will provide minor spoilers.

This story was written as an entry for the M/M Shipping Contest 2021.

About warning tags: Unmistakable innuendo, strong allusion, flirting, plumage. Gangsters, blood on feathers, an incidence of Prench cursing, etc...

The main cover art, and the alternate cover in chapter 4, is by Syrupyyy, an amazing artist. The lettering is mine. Visit Syrupyy on twitter at: https://twitter.com/SyrupyyyArt

A super big shout out to my pre-reader Javarod. He made a snide comment in The Runaway Bodyguard on the “Hay is for breakfast” line that intersects both stories (chapter 14 in this work, chapter 51 in that work). That one comment was the genesis of this story. If you like this story (and please, up vote it), be sure to thank him, too!