That's... probably true. It's hard to ignore the fact that this all started right around when Steven escaped.

A gentler person might try to tell him otherwise, but Rita doesn't mince words. "So what if it is? Are you just going to give her what she wants? Because that's not what I plan to do." Turning back to the door, Rita conjures a row of flames and shoots them at the creeping vines. It might not be as effective as she'd like, but it should buy them some time.