Khalila Seif

**Khalila Seif** is from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and is part of the same group of postulants as Jess Brightwell.

## Biography

### Early Life

Khalila comes from a wealthy family. She grew up in a household who emphasized studying. She also had little interest in more traditional things for a girl in her position, like cooking. She is the first person in the history of the Library's entrance examination to have a perfect score.

### *Ink and Bone*

Khalila meets Jess on the train to Alexandria. Her uncle, Nasir Seif, is accompanying her. It becomes immediately clear to everyone how much Khalila belongs at the Great Library. They all say she has a brilliant future ahead of her. Khalila is the only postulant safe enough to question Scholar Christopher Wolfe. Partway through her training, Khalila is assigned special half-day intensive studying with Scholar Zhao who's versed in sophisticated mathematics and the study of the heavens on top of Scholar Wolfe's lessons. She spends almost all her time outside of training reading.

When Thomas Schreiber tells Khalila and Jess about his invention that "will make the Codex obsolete," Khalila becomes worried, saying it sounds like heresy. Thomas brushes her worries off.

After the mission to Oxford, Khalila mentions that her father will never let her go on after hearing about what happened. Jess assures her that the Library won't tell anyone, saying it's not in the Library's interest to be honest. Khalila and Dario Santiago begin dating after Oxford.

Khalila is given a contract with the Library that is rarely seen, a lifetime appointment as a Research Scholar, making her a gold band with all the attendant rank and privileges. Her new permanent quarters will be in the Alexandrian Lighthouse.

### *Paper and Fire*

Khalila tries to use her position to help her friends uncover the secret of Thomas' incarceration.

### *Smoke and Iron*

Khalila, Dario, Thomas, Glain, and Santi are all prisoners on a ship bound for Alexandria from England. The ship belongs to Red Ibrahim who has switched alliances to make a deal with the Archivist.

### *Sword and Pen*

Khalila is made the new Archivist Magister. She is now Archivist Khalila. She is the youngest Archivist in history. She signs the treaty that returns France to its independence. She orders that Jess receive his full salary for the rest of his life after Santi releases him from his contract to the High Garda.

## Physical Description

Khalila is pretty, not beautiful, but interesting. She's small and petite. She has darker skin and wears a hijab. She has forthright, intense brown eyes. She has smooth, basalt black hair that cascades down over her shoulders. Khalila has a dimpled smile.

## Personality

Khalila is without a doubt the brightest in her class of postulants, and possibly of her generation. She's clever, kind, perceptive, and devout. While brilliant, Khalila never hesitates to get her hands dirty when the situation calls for it. She demonstrates physical courage man times. Despite how she may appear, Khalila is not fragile. She is formal, warm, and unafraid. She has grace and charm to spare. Jess is proud of her, and a little afraid of her. She's mostly honest, but sometimes her stories stretch too far. She knows the importance of having the ability to look to the future. It's nearly impossible to hate her, even when she sounds smug. She likes winning. Khalila is always punctual, courageous, brave, and inspiring. Training as a postulant has made her more mature, and more comfortable in her skin and with her own brilliance. She shines like a diamond being around people who respect her. She really comes into her own. Khalila has the ability to say what she means and move on; she's efficient. Khalila is willing to forfeit her lifetime appointment as a Scholar to go with her friends to save Thomas. Khalila becomes an extraordinary diplomat and discovers a talent for leadership.

## Relationships

### Dario Santiago

Khalila is entertained by Dario. She is the only one who can get away with calling Dario a fool in public. He calls her "desert flower." She finds Dario's pursuit of her flattering and exasperating in turns. They are increasingly drawn together, and it's clear that she trusts him. Khalila is one of his few weak points. After the horrible and traumatizing events in Oxford, Dario and Khalila begin dating. Dario's love for Khalila is so strong that when he's captured by the Artifex, he forces him to betray the group, not by threatening his own family, but by threatening Khalila's. He proposes to Khalila and she accepts.

## Trivia

* Khalila can cock one eyebrow. She is a good shot.
* She can name all the Archivists and all the Artifex Magnuses. She excels at chess but hasn't mastered the game of Go quite so readily.
* Khalil is never up early, preferring to sleep until the last moment.
* She and Glain are the least affected by translation.
* The character of Khalila is Rachel Caine's tribute to the Muslim women who read and love her other series, the *Morganville Vampires*.