The sister is a knife-thrower in a magicians stage act the brother an undertakers assistant. Neither orphan knows of the others existence. Until that is three terrible Aunts descend on the girls house & imprison her guardian the Great Cardamom. His dying act is to pass the girl a note with clues to the secret he carries to his grave. Cardamom was one of three explorers on an expedition to locate the legendary Amarant a plant with power over life & death. Now pursued by flesh-eating crow-like ghuls brother & sister must decode the message & save themselves from its sinister legacy.