Gratitude glimmered in that look, but also a warning—as if some truths were better left unspoken. The harbor master gripped Elias’s shoulder firmly. “You’re lucky you came back,” he said gruffly. “That ship… it’s gone. Sank right where it struck. Took half the rocks with it.” His eyes narrowed. “What did you see out there?”
Elias opened his mouth, but the words faltered. He thought of Callen’s confession; that he was a stowaway, abandoned when the crew disappeared. If the wrong ears heard that, Callen might end up in more trouble than he’d already survived. Elias swallowed hard and forced a steady voice. “I saw a man who needed saving,” he said at last. It was the truth, though not all of it.