As Rita yanks him closer, Strange folds. "The Circle caused it!" he blabs, warily eyeing Rita's fist, kind of terrified that she'll haul off and punch him anyway. "The Circle were the people who cast the spell in the first place, and all the etheric nonsense happening right now is because someone's meddling with it."

Of course, he's not a hundred percent sure the Circle caused it in the first place. But that's what Nightshade told him and he really sees no reason for the faerie to lie.