Hesitation

For a terrible moment, Thalia hesitated. She gazed at Luke, her eyes full of pain, as if the only thing she wanted in the world was to believe him.

Then she leveled her spear.

(PJO book three, The Titan's Curse)

The short version:

This is the last of the sketches I did while listening to the Percy Jackson books on CD. This is of course Thalia and Luke... their lives are miserable and their love is doomed. Huzzah!

The long version!:

Iiiiii love this scene towards the end of book three. It's such a defining moment for Thalia, and she's such an awesome character... it's also really fun to go back and re-read, knowing how the series ends. What Luke says to her makes a lot more sense!

Is Thalia truly tempted by the idea of becoming more powerful than her father and seizing control of her fate, or is it the thought of being with Luke again, just like they used to be, that makes her hesitate? Is Luke scared that Thalia no longer cares for him, or is he entirely consumed with fear of the "other way" he knows Kronos will eventually use to return to power??

Personally, I believe that Thalia's transformation was the "breaking point" for Luke, the crack in his heart that Kronos eventually wormed into and used to seize control ... and that the pain in his voice during that scene is the realization that the Thalia he loved still exists, but that his own anger and choices have divided them forever.