“I can’t answer for all of them,” Arryn says, kicking a rock out of our way and to the side of the path. “But most were built in the late 1800s after the Brits left and people were worried about other nations coming to invade—or raiding parties being sent to steal gold. There’s an entire network beneath the city, most of which was left alone until World War II, when the passages were used as a go-between for different battlements and bunkers, as well as storage hollows for munitions and supplies.” She pauses, then continues her history lesson, “Most of the tunnels have faded from memory or are now considered too unstable for people to risk their lives by exploring. This one in particular is a no-go zone, with very few people even knowing about it anymore. Unlike most of the others on this side of the city, it cuts across from Middle Head and comes out near Cannae Point, which is why it was sealed and labeled too dangerous for—”

Cami makes an alarmed sound and stops so suddenly that I slam into her, the two of us nearly going down.

“Cam! What—”

“Are you serious?” Cami exclaims over me.

Arryn, realizing we’re no longer on her heels, turns back to look at us. She raises her eyebrows at whatever she sees on Cami’s face. “Why would I make all that up?”

“Are you saying we’re under the ocean right now?” Cami breathes.

My blood freezes as I think about the cool temperature, about the wet feel to the air. I presumed it was just normal underground dampness, but now …

“I don’t think it counts as the ocean until you get farther away from land,” Arryn says, completely at ease as she continues along the path. “But, sure, let’s go with that.”

A shiver travels from my head to my toes as I consider the ramifications of such a bombshell. I now understand that the reason the path was so sloped was because we had to travel beneath the weight of water now resting above our heads. Arryn’s words about the tunnels come back to me like a hammer to the face:

… too unstable for people to risk their lives by exploring. This one in particular is a no-go zone …

“We’re going to die down here, I just know it,” Cami whispers into the dark.