The ranch is soon rebuilt. The agreement with the Yaquis is upheld, and a new one with the nearby Mayos is formed. Tomás spends his time with his bees, feeling so connected to them that he never wears a suit and is never stung. He prefers their company to the presence of people, and he only visits his family in Alamos once a month. He feels as though everything and everyone in the city is fake. Segundo takes a liking to Buenaventura and spends a lot of time with him. He sees the boy’s resemblance to Tomás and is not surprised when Buenaventura reveals that Tomás is his father. Meanwhile, Huila adapts to this new home, adding new talismans to her collection and learning the uses of new plants. She watches Teresita mature and can sense her approaching womanhood and the power that this transition will entail. As a precaution, she sends Teresita a half-day’s ride away to Tomás’s nearby property of Aquihuiquichi.

At Aquihuiquichi, Teresita moves in with Don Teófano and his niece and feels as though she is being exiled in punishment. When a stray cat seeks her out while in labor, Teresita soon discovers her talent for aiding births.