“I have not, Dr. Nixen,” was his simple reply. “It doesn’t look as though anyone else has touched it either.”
“Curious. If I remember correctly, the pigment in the oil paints available at the time faded. Unless this was a much darker skin tone to begin with. And that wouldn’t make sense since she’s already darker than most Germans,” I probed him, wanting to find out the truth of this painting. I suppose a part of me had wanted to impress him with my knowledge at the same time.
“Yes, they do tend to fade. As I said, it’s full of mystery. The rock she is sitting on is a famous one located on the Rhine. Do you know the legend of the Siren?” he questioned, with a smirk on his face.
“I do, and it seems that my parents named me after her,” I chuckled uncomfortably. The coincidences were getting more and more curious. I wasn’t one to believe in myths or anything paranormal. I had a mind for science and felt that everything had an explanation. This, however, had me doubting that, if only for a moment. “It’s quite strange. I can see what you meant about the artist taking great care of her face. Not that the rest of the painting isn’t stunning, and yet, I can see, as you said, the rest is not made of oil paints, aside from her skin. He must have cared about his model a great deal.”
I continued to examine the painting, asking questions as I did so. It seemed as though the more I looked, the more I found that it just didn’t line up. It certainly was a mystery. I had my fill for the moment and wanted to see his research. We used a small round table, and heat flooded my body as he leaned closer to point out something on the page. “This is the legend of the siren, Nixie. It has a description of her clothing, and it seems to match the painting very closely, but not the rest of her.” Klaus’ warm hand brushed against mine, as he pointed to the spot on the paper. I clenched my thighs together as desire begun settling in my core.
His eyes met mine and I was entranced by the gorgeous gray that shined with more blue today. His thick lashes framed them, making his eyes stand out more on his face. I could picture myself never tiring of looking into his eyes, and the image of him hovering over me, his cock driving into me, flashed through my mind. My face flushed, and I had to break away from his penetrating gaze.
Looking down, I saw the evidence of my own effect on him by the bulge in his pants. It filled me with so much longing and I chastised myself for thinking about him and not my work. Soon, it would no longer be a problem, an idea that gave me a heavy heart.
We worked all day and now it was late. I was tired down to my bones. I could see the same tiredness in Klaus, so I suggested that we call it a night. Though we had much left to go through, my mind couldn’t take in any more information at that point. I wanted too much for him to invite me back to his hostel and felt a bit of disappointment when he didn’t. He did offer to walk me to my train, which I took him up on.
The museum was long closed, and the staff had all gone home hours ago. There was no need to worry about being caught together, so I didn’t object when his hand brushed against mine. We strolled hand in hand, a comfortable silence between us, just enjoying each other’s company.
At the U-Bahn, he pulled me close to him and kissed me with fierce passion. I moaned and pressed my body closer to his. No matter how tired I was, I wanted a repeat of the night before. I felt oddly empty when he broke the kiss, as we heard the train approaching. He leaned his forehead against mine, his voice husky with desire, “Lorelei, you make me never want to leave this city. I don’t want to go back.”
The truth in his voice was evident and somehow I spoke without considering my words, “Stay. Stay here with me.” He didn’t answer, instead, he pulled me in for one last kiss as the train came to a stop. He stood there watching me as I reluctantly entered and found a seat near the window. Klaus held his hand up in goodbye and I pressed my palm to the cold window until I could no longer see him as the train pulled away.
.
It was so hard to leave Lorelei at the train station. My heart left with her and as soon as she was out of sight, I slumped down on the bench putting my head in my hands. I tried not to cry at the loss that I already felt. I had no idea how I would leave her behind. There was no way I could convince her to come to Paris, nor was there any way for me to stay here without seeming like a stalker and ruining my chances.
I was so tired of the waiting, year after year the loneliness worsened until I just couldn’t take it anymore. Those were the times that I would disappear from the current identity and become a hermit of sorts. I would travel the countryside, staying in villages, and never letting anyone in. My thoughts of death plagued me, the one thing that I could never have. I had tried more than once in the beginning, after her first death. That was before I found out that she would come back, that she would always come back. The knowledge didn’t make her deaths easier, nor did it make those years without her any less miserable.
After pulling myself back together, I wearily walked back to the hostel and crawled into my bed. Staring out over the city at the lights I remembered the last time we had danced together. It was the nineteen twenties in Berlin. I had owned a small art store where the local artists brought their creations to be sold, everything from pottery to paintings. It was during the Weiberfastnacht, the Women’s March, that I saw her. Lorelei was one of the women participating in the march and had stopped me to cut off my tie. She gave me a kiss on the cheek as per tradition but lingered longer than usual. I asked her to come to a small dance that the neighboring shops were having, and she said yes.
That night we slow danced for hours under the twinkling lights that decorated the street. I still remember the music that played, and I hummed it to myself from time to time. I didn’t want to think any more about that life we had together. It was the one we had the longest, so long that I had thought our curse was over and we would finally be able to start a family together. It wasn’t to be, and I was again left broken after her death.
I let Lorelei’s scent envelop me, comforting me through my sad memories, and I wished I could have her in my arms. I needed to snap out of this depression and make a real plan. I had to find a way to stay here, one that wouldn’t cause me to scare her away. I drifted off as the wheels turned in my mind, too exhausted from the lack of sleep and emotional roller coaster I had been on in such a short time.
“You must make her love you,” the hag’s words floated around me as I stood in the middle of the inky black room again. “She will remember only when her heart opens enough to truly love you.”
The room swirled again and I felt dizzy until it stopped, throwing me on the rocky ground. I recognized the spot, one that was branded in my mind for centuries. The place that started it all.
A figure rose out of the river, his massive body with muscles that looked as if they were chiseled out of marble. His long white hair, and the beard that hung down to his belly, almost hid the crown he wore upon his head. He could be mistaken for a human if not for the scales that started at his waist and continued down under the water to where I knew was a fish tail. King Nix, the father of Lorelei, glowered at me.
“Lorelei, you will not be with this human. You will go back into the river and take your place at the rock. A farm boy is beneath a princess of your stature.”
“No, Father, I will not. I am done with that life. Any of my sisters can take my place. I’m not needed. I love him,” her voice beside me startled me, as she appeared from thin air to be by my side in her human form.
King Nix’s face was filled with rage and the river churned around him. “You will not disobey me, child!”
Lorelei crossed her arms and lifted her chin in defiance. “No,” she stated, an edge to her voice that I had never heard before.
“Have it your way,” he seethed. “I will do what I must as the King of this River, King of all the Nixie.” He raised his hands and pointed them at me, fear rolled through me. I couldn’t move and I stood there, knowing what was going to happen. I knew he was going to kill me, and I was okay wi
th that. As long as Lorelei was safe, my welfare didn’t matter.
Those thoughts went through my mind in the seconds that it took for the swirl of water to leave his hands at a turbulent pace. I closed my eyes and waited for the pain, but it never came. When I opened my eyes, I looked around and found Lorelei crumpled at my feet, blood flowing from her chest, down the side of her body.
“Fix her!” I screamed at the King, but he shook his head. “You have to save her! She is your daughter!”
“No, human. She is no child of mine. She chose to protect you knowing what would happen. She is no longer my problem. I suggest you leave and never return to my kingdom. My people will be informed to give you no mercy if you ever step near the Rhine again.”
I pulled my shirt off and pushed it against her, trying to stem the flow of blood. She moaned quietly and I leaned closer to hear what she was trying to say. “I love you. Never forget that, Klaus. I have no regrets.”
“No, I’m not letting you go!” I cried as tears flowed down my face. I tied the shirt around her tightly, hoping it would help save her. I carefully picked her up and ran as fast as I could, headed to the only place that I could think of. My aunt was a healer, some called her a witch. I didn’t know and I didn’t care, as long as she could save my siren.
I woke up with a start, Lorelei’s name on my lips again. Sweat covered my body, yet I shivered, my blood as cold as ice. I had been plagued by these dreams for many lifetimes, yet it never got easier. The room was still dark, the lights of the city dimmed, and the moon shone through the window. I had no idea what time it was, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep.
Instead, I made my way to the shower, turning the water as hot as I could take. It ran over my skin, and yet it did nothing to stop my shivering. My heart ached from reliving her first death again in my dream. The pain never lessened, seeming to get worse as the years went by.
The more deaths she had, the more it hurt until I felt like I couldn’t breathe anymore. I needed to find a way to undo the spell. It was something that I had tried to do over the years but never had any luck. I hadn’t ever tried with Lorelei though, always so happy and blinded by her return that the curse upon us was forgotten.
I knew that I couldn’t take losing her again. My mind would break, and I would never come back from it. It was time to try with her, together. But first I needed to make her remember me. “She will remember only when her heart opens enough to truly love you,” I repeated the words of the hags, from over three hundred years ago.
I would go to the museum early and talk to the director, apply for a position. I didn’t care if it were less than what I was making now or a less prominent position. Hell, I would even become an intern if it meant staying with Lorelei. Maybe he would see the value in my working with her, my knowledge of the painting an asset.
Or maybe I would just volunteer my time. I had plenty of vacation time saved up from the Louvre, and I had plenty of money that I had stashed away after living so long that I wouldn’t be hurting at all. I was well-off enough that I never had to work again. It didn’t matter to me if I ever returned to the Louvre. While most would love the prestige of working there, it meant nothing to me. The only reason I was there was for my painting and now it was here in Germany.
I finished in the shower and went down to the cyber cafe in the hostel. I spent the rest of the early morning hours printing out my resume and planning what exactly I would say to the museum director. Once the sun came up, I grabbed a cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich before I headed out the door.
I wasn’t sure if the director would be in, but I planned on waiting for him all day if I had to. I was glad his secretary was there and let me know that he liked to start his day early, get things done before the museum opened, and ultimately would have an issue that would need his attention.
“Dr. Hoffman, to what do I owe this pleasure?” he asked, with a little bit of awe in his voice. My reputation tended to precede me and that was none of my doing. I preferred to stay off the radar, but my colleagues had other ideas.
“Herr Wilhelm, as you know, I’ve been studying the painting you just acquired for many years. I would like to continue my work, as I believe that I’m very close to finding the mystery behind it.” I hoped that his interest in history would be as great as mine. One would think the director of a museum would love history, yet I found that was not always the case.
“I understand that Dr. Hoffman, but we aren’t the Louvre. I wouldn’t have the budget to take on someone of your professional stature,” a line that I knew was coming and had prepared for that morning.
“Yes, I am aware that I’m coming out of nowhere with this and budgets are a large problem for museums. I’m willing to take a lesser pay for the opportunity to stay and continue my work on the painting. It has become somewhat of an obsession of mine,” I laughed. “I have always loved mysteries. It seems to be a family trait that has been passed down for generations of Hoffman curators.”
He sighs, “I’m not sure I could even pay you, though I do appreciate how dedicated you are.”
“Would you be willing to allow me to stay on as an intern? Would that be within your budget?” I asked.
“An intern?” he scoffed at the ridiculousness of it. “Dr. Hoffman, you are the leading professional in the art world. I couldn’t think of bringing you down to that level.”
“Trust me, Herr Wilhelm. I have no need for all the accolades. And honestly, if I were to figure out the biggest mystery in the world of art, the appreciation I would get for that would be much more fulfilling financially and be worth my time taking a smaller salary.” I hoped that he would buy it because volunteering would not give me the visa I needed to move back to Germany.
“Hmm. That is a good point,” he responded, his eyes twinkling in delight. “It would also be good for the Germanisches Nationalmuseum to have someone as prominent as you working here. I could take Dr. Nixen’s intern and put him on another project. Though they work well together, I think Hans would be happier in another department. Are you sure you want to do this?”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
“Then we have a deal. Let me get the paperwork started to make it official, but welcome aboard Dr. Hoffman. I look forward to seeing what you and Dr. Nixen can do together. She’s a very smart woman that I think will compliment your style.” He got up from his seat and shook my hand. “I’ll go down with you and inform the team. There’s no need to wait when all we have is a little paperwork to file.”
We walked down and he asked me questions about the painting, which I was happy to fill him in on. Lorelei raised an eyebrow when we entered. “Good morning Herr Wilhelm, Dr. Hoffman. What brings you down here, sir?” her German was very good, and she sounded as if she had been born and raised in this country.
“Dr. Hoffman has agreed to stay on and work with you on the painting we requisitioned. You will still be the lead on it, don’t you worry about that.” He turned to Hans, who was nervously standing next to her. “Hans, I’d like to move you to Johann’s department. I know it’s one that you have been wanting to be a part of for a while. He happens to have an intern leaving next week and I haven’t settled for anyone. You can stay on this project until that time, if that’s alright with you?”
Hans grinned so broadly that his smile took up most of his face, “Yes sir. Thank you so much for the opportunity. That is certainly my passion. Not that I haven’t loved the work with Dr. Nixen.”
“Good, then it’s all settled. Dr. Hoffman, please come see me this afternoon and I will have all the paperwork ready for you to make it official. I’ll also have my secretary get the visa paperwork ready for you. It’s the least we can do to facilitate your transfer after your generous offer. Make it two pm.” I nodded my assent and he left us alone.
I wasn’t sure how Lorelei felt about this new turn of events and I felt a bit guilty about springing it on her without talking to her first. “I
hope that this is okay, Lorelei. I just didn’t think I could leave Nixie at this time. She’s so close to my heart and I want to explore all the possibilities before leaving.” I hoped that she understood that it wasn’t just the painting I was talking about. It wasn’t the painting at all because I already knew the mystery behind it. It just wasn’t something I would ever be able to tell the public.
“Klaus, that’s exciting news! I feel like there is so much that we didn’t get to talk about and if you left, I wouldn’t have the whole story.” Her smile lit up her face and I wanted nothing more than to kiss her right at that moment. The only thing that stopped me was Hans’ voice asking if we wanted coffee since he was going to get some.
Alone with her, her face changed to embarrassment and worry. My stomach lurched, and I wondered if I had pushed it too fast this time. I couldn’t take another fifty or more years waiting for another try. “Are you sure you’re okay with this? I really should have talked to you first, I just- I didn’t - I don’t know why. I’m sorry.”
.
I didn’t know what to think about the news of Klaus staying. Part of me was elated, but the other part was terrified. It was awkward enough how he had left me at the train station after I asked him to stay. What was I thinking saying something so bold and clingy sounding?
All night I had berated myself for being so needy. The only thing that had made me feel better was knowing that he would be going back to Paris, and I wouldn’t have to face him after that embarrassing, weak moment. I figured that I had just been so lonely since moving here that the first man that made me feel so damn special filled that hole in me.
But now? Now Klaus was staying. He was doing what I had asked, and I didn’t know if it were because I asked him or if it was really Nixie he wanted to stay for. It’s not like I could ask him. That would be even more humiliating if I received an answer I didn’t want to hear.
Lorelei Page 4