The morning sun cut through the small window and pressed against Jacob's eyelids. He squeezed them shut before finally stretching his small limbs. The familiar ache in his joints reminded him of the strange reality of his new body.
The sharp pressure that had hammered against the inside of his skull the night before had faded to a dull throb. He sat up and waited for the room to stop spinning. A few swallows of water would likely banish the lingering fog.
He looked at the wall beside his bed. The grain of the wood was slightly different from the rest of the house. He remembered the tantrum he had thrown at eight years old.
He had been unable to comprehend why Lila deserved the privacy of her own four walls while he did not. Arthur had not argued or lectured. Instead, his father had spent two days hauling timber and sawing boards to split the boys' room in two.
Jacob ran a hand over the rough partition. It was a tight fit, but it was his. The craftsmanship spoke of a father who valued peace over convenience.
Jacob slipped out of bed and dressed in his sturdy work clothes. He made his way to the kitchen, where the large water barrel sat in its place of honor.
His family followed a ritual here. He carefully lifted the heavy wooden lid and hooked it onto the peg above the barrel. He made sure the underside faced the wall to keep dust from settling on the damp surface.
He reached for the ladle. It rested in a smaller, elevated barrel to keep it away from the floor's grit.
He gripped only the very tip of the handle and dipped the copper bowl into the deep, cool reservoir.
He held his cup over a catch-bucket to ensure not a single stray drop contaminated the main supply. After he drank, he replaced every item with the precision of a clockmaker.
The water felt like liquid ice against his parched throat. His body reacted with a desperate thirst, and he drained half the cup in one long pull.
He needed more than just hydration. He reached into the bread box and pulled out a thick, dense slice.
The crust was hard enough to require a vigorous soak in his water, but it felt solid in his stomach. The simple weight of the food helped ground his drifting thoughts.
The back door creaked open. He heard the rhythmic thud of boots being knocked clean against the doorframe.
"He was still under the blankets when I looked in," May's voice carried through the mudroom. "The fever seemed gone, but he was pale as a ghost."
"He's a Hemlock," Arthur replied. "We have thick blood. He'll be up and asking for chores by noon."
The door swung wide, and May stopped in her tracks. Her eyes widened as she saw him standing by the table.
She dropped the basket of herbs she was carrying and rushed across the floor. Her hands were cool and smelled of rosemary as she pressed them against his forehead and then his cheeks.
"Jacob! You're standing!" she cried. She turned him slightly to check his eyes for any sign of the previous day's glassy stare.
Jacob felt a genuine heat rise in his chest. It had nothing to do with a fever. He leaned into her touch and gave a small laugh. "I'm okay, Mom. I was just a little thirsty."
Arthur stepped into the room and leaned against the doorframe. He watched the scene with a look of curiosity. He didn't rush over. Instead, he folded his arms and studied the way Jacob held himself. A small, knowing smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
May finally stepped back though she kept a hand on his shoulder. "Sit down, please. We need to talk about what happened in the yard."
They moved to the heavy dining table. Arthur pulled out a chair for May before taking his own seat at the head.
"I remember falling," Jacob said. He chose his words with care, trying to soften the precision of his speech. "My head felt like it was going to burst. Everything went dark after that. When I woke up last night to talk to Dad, it felt like I was dreaming."
Arthur swapped a glance with May. The look in the older man's eyes was sharp. He was noticing the way Jacob articulated his thoughts.
The boy wasn't babbling like a typical ten-year-old. He was speaking with a clarity that belonged to someone much older. May noticed it too, but she simply squeezed Jacob's hand.
"I was so worried your mind had been hurt," May said. Her voice was steady, but her eyes remained glassy. "If you need to stay in that bed for a week, we will manage. The chickens can wait."
"I don't want to stay in bed," Jacob insisted. "I feel like I have too much energy. I want to go outside and see the animals. I think the fresh air will finish clearing the cobwebs that seem to be clouding my thoughts."
At this point, May looked at Arthur with a questioning look. Arthur had been watching Jacob and May talk the whole time, and now he looked like he was thinking deeply.
'I can't tell if he has awakened his magic early or not, but he has always been quite cognizant of the animals as well as the feelings of his siblings. With his level of intelligence at such a young age, it would not hurt to let him know about magic before his siblings. His system will not awaken until he is 12 years old, regardless of the early gifts he may have received from the world.'
Arthur looked back at his wife and nodded to her, so she got up and gave Jacob a kiss on the forehead before leaving to attend to the rest of her daily duties. Arthur then gave Jacob a warm fatherly smile.
"Jacob, I am quite proud of how you conduct yourself as a young man. As for what happened yesterday, I think I have an explanation for you, but it will take a bit of time and some demonstration. Do you think you are up for it?"
Jacob became a little nervous at those words.
'Has he realized that I was an adult who has been reborn in this body? Was I talking too clearly like an adult instead of a child? No, come on, he does not look serious. . . he looks like a proud father who is about to teach his son about something important. I can't think of anything he would want to teach me right now that would be related to yesterday, though.'
While Jacob was still looking at his father, he said, "I think I would be up to learning anything from you dad."
His words gave Arthur an even bigger smile, and he started to look a bit excited.
"Jacob, I am going to teach you about magic."