Cat and Meese — K. Gorman

When Aiden, the Fire Mage, sends Meese after after Kitty, a rogue elemental with a crazy past, she isn't sure what to think. Kitty's hidden out in the Underground, a very literal underground city that's a mix of war heroes, deserters, refugees, criminals, and everything in between. It's a place Meese has been before, with mixed results.

Without the help of her fire magic, Meese was understandably anxious about venturing down below -- especially with final exams looming over her high school grades.

But the Fire Mage insists that she'll be okay. And you know what? He might have been right.

…if the crazy in Kitty's past hadn't come back to haunt them.

*This short story is about 5,600 words.